Leonidas C. Houk
Encyclopedia
Leonidas Campbell Houk was an American
politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives
for the 2nd congressional district
of Tennessee
. Between 1878 and 1891, Houk was elected to seven consecutive terms in the House, during which time he helped solidify the Republican
congressional dominance in East Tennessee
that remains to the present day. Houk fought for the Union Army during the Civil War
, and rose to the rank of colonel within a few months. Largely self-trained as a lawyer, Houk served as a state circuit court judge from 1866 to 1869.
in Sevier County
on June 8, 1836. He lost his father at a young age, and grew up in poverty. Although he attended local schools for less than three months, he managed to educate himself by reading books. He eventually learned the trade of cabinet-making, and worked in this trade for several years in Clinton, Tennessee
.
In 1853, Houk was charged in Maryville
with shooting a gun near a public road. At his trial, Knoxville
lawyer Oliver Perry Temple
(1820–1907), who happened to be in the courtroom, arose and spoke on Houk's behalf, and convinced the judge to grant Houk leniency. As a result of this incident, Houk became interested in law, and began making regular stops by Temple's Gay Street
office to borrow books on law and legal theory. In 1859, Houk was admitted to the bar, and commenced practice in Clinton.
in a debate in Clinton, and in June of that year he represented Anderson County
at the East Tennessee Union Convention
, which sought to create a separate, Union-aligned state in East Tennessee. In August 1861, Houk travelled to Kentucky
, where he enlisted in the Union Army as a private.
On February 5, 1862, Houk was named colonel of the Third Tennessee Volunteer Infantry. In August of that year, Houk's regiment was vastly outnumbered and nearly surrounded by Confederate forces at London, Kentucky
. Rather than surrender, Houk led his men on a brutal retreat over back roads and mountain passes to safety. As a result of this retreat, his health deteriorated, and he was forced to retire from the army on April 23, 1863. He spent the remainder of the war writing articles in support of the Union. He defended the Emancipation Proclamation
, and served as a presidential elector for the Republican ticket in 1864.
. In March 1866, however, he was elected circuit court judge of Tennessee's 17th judicial district. At first, Houk supported the policies of Radical Republican
governor William G. Brownlow
, including a bill that disenfranchised former Confederate officers, and a bill giving African-Americans in the state the right to vote. However, after a particularly bitter defeat against Maynard (a Brownlow ally) for the Republican nomination during the congressional election of 1868, Houk began distancing himself from the Brownlow regime.
Houk resigned from the bench in 1869 and moved to Knoxville, where he formed a successful law firm with Henry R. Gibson
. In 1872, he was elected to the Tennessee state legislature, but served just one term. He again sought his party's nomination for Congress in 1874 against Jacob Thornburgh
(Maynard had been gerrymandered out of the district in 1872), but withdrew after another particularly divisive campaign.
, and was elected to the Forty-sixth Congress later that year. Sensing that East Tennesseans were weary of national issues, Houk focused on local concerns, namely veterans' issues and the demand for federal government seed. He was chairman of the House Committee on War Claims during the Forty-seventh congress, and went to great lengths to get compensation for East Tennessee Unionists who suffered property damage during the war.
In 1881, Houk thwarted Rule's attempt to become Knoxville's postmaster, and instead helped his old mentor Oliver P. Temple get the appointment. An enraged Rule ran against Houk for the Republican nomination, and after a hostile campaign, both claimed the nomination and ran against one another in the general election. Houk won handily, and afterward ran virtually unopposed for four subsequent terms. During this period, he went to considerable lengths to broaden the party's reach beyond its radical roots. With Brownlow and the party's older leaders dead or retired, Houk became the leader of Tennessee's Republicans, and thus controlled the party's presidential patronage.
By the late-1880s, Houk had formed an unspoken alliance with the state's Democrats (who now dominated state politics) in which he traded federal influence during Republican presidencies for a say in state affairs. In 1888, however, Henry Clay Evans, who disliked what he perceived as Houk's subservience to state Democrats, captured the 3rd District's House seat, and immediately began fighting with Houk over distribution of patronage. Although the 3rd District was gerrymandered to ensure Evans's defeat in 1890, he and Houk continued bickering over patronage and political appointments, and after Houk's death, his son, John C. Houk
, struggled with Evans for several years for control of the state Republican Party.
in Old Gray Cemetery. Houk's son, John Chiles Houk, succeeded him as the 2nd District's congressman. He held the seat until 1895, and continued to play a role in East Tennessee politics into the 20th century.
Houk's broadening of the Republican platform solidified Republican control of East Tennessee's 1st and 2nd congressional districts. As of 2008, no Democrat has been elected to Congress in either district since Houk's day.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for the 2nd congressional district
Tennessee's 2nd congressional district
The 2nd congressional district of Tennessee is a congressional district in Tennessee. It currently includes the east central part of the state....
of 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...
. Between 1878 and 1891, Houk was elected to seven consecutive terms in the House, during which time he helped solidify the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
congressional dominance in East Tennessee
East Tennessee
East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...
that remains to the present day. Houk fought for the Union Army during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, and rose to the rank of colonel within a few months. Largely self-trained as a lawyer, Houk served as a state circuit court judge from 1866 to 1869.
Early life
Houk was born near Boyds Creek, TennesseeBoyds Creek, Tennessee
Boyds Creek is an unincorporated community in Sevier County, Tennessee, United States. It is named for a small southward-flowing tributary of the French Broad River of the same name, which itself derives its name from a Virginian trader killed by a band of Cherokee Indians whose body was thrown...
in Sevier County
Sevier County, Tennessee
Sevier County is a county of the state of Tennessee, United States. Its population was 71,170 at the 2000 United States Census. It is included in the Sevierville, Tennessee, Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette, TN Combined Statistical Area. The...
on June 8, 1836. He lost his father at a young age, and grew up in poverty. Although he attended local schools for less than three months, he managed to educate himself by reading books. He eventually learned the trade of cabinet-making, and worked in this trade for several years in Clinton, Tennessee
Clinton, Tennessee
Clinton is a city in Anderson County, Tennessee, United States. Its population was 9,409 at the United States Census, 2000. It is the county seat of Anderson County. Clinton is included in the "Knoxville, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area".-Geography:...
.
In 1853, Houk was charged in Maryville
Maryville, Tennessee
Maryville is the county seat of Blount County, Tennessee, in the Southeastern United States. The city is located south of Knoxville. Maryville's population was 27,258 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Knoxville Metropolitan Area. Maryville has received a number of accolades for its...
with shooting a gun near a public road. At his trial, Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
lawyer Oliver Perry Temple
Oliver Perry Temple
Oliver Perry Temple was an American attorney, author, judge, and economic promoter active primarily in East Tennessee in the latter half of the 19th century. During the months leading up to the Civil War, Temple played a pivotal role in organizing East Tennessee's Unionists...
(1820–1907), who happened to be in the courtroom, arose and spoke on Houk's behalf, and convinced the judge to grant Houk leniency. As a result of this incident, Houk became interested in law, and began making regular stops by Temple's Gay Street
Gay Street (Knoxville)
Gay Street is a street in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, that traverses the heart of the city's downtown area. Since its development in the 1790s, Gay Street has served as the city's principal financial and commercial thoroughfare, and has played a primary role in the city's historical and cultural...
office to borrow books on law and legal theory. In 1859, Houk was admitted to the bar, and commenced practice in Clinton.
Civil War
Like most rural East Tennesseans, Houk supported the Union during the Civil War. In 1861, Houk engaged prominent secessionist Henry S. FooteHenry S. Foote
Henry Stuart Foote was a United States Senator from Mississippi from 1847 to 1852 and Governor of Mississippi from 1852 to 1854. His emotional leadership on the Senate floor helped secure passage of the Compromise of 1850, which for a time averted a civil war in the United States.-Biography:Henry...
in a debate in Clinton, and in June of that year he represented Anderson County
Anderson County, Tennessee
Anderson County is a U.S. county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, its population is 75,129. Its county seat is Clinton.It is included in the Knoxville, Tennessee, Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
at the East Tennessee Union Convention
East Tennessee Convention of 1861
The East Tennessee Convention consisted of a series of meetings held in 1861 on the eve of the American Civil War in which 29 counties in East Tennessee and one county in Middle Tennessee denounced secessionist activities within the state of Tennessee and resolved to break away and form an...
, which sought to create a separate, Union-aligned state in East Tennessee. In August 1861, Houk travelled to Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, where he enlisted in the Union Army as a private.
On February 5, 1862, Houk was named colonel of the Third Tennessee Volunteer Infantry. In August of that year, Houk's regiment was vastly outnumbered and nearly surrounded by Confederate forces at London, Kentucky
London, Kentucky
-Education:All of the following schools are administered by the Laurel County School District.-Primary schools:* * * * * * * * * * * * -High schools:* * -Colleges:* Laurel Technical College* * -Notable natives:...
. Rather than surrender, Houk led his men on a brutal retreat over back roads and mountain passes to safety. As a result of this retreat, his health deteriorated, and he was forced to retire from the army on April 23, 1863. He spent the remainder of the war writing articles in support of the Union. He defended the Emancipation Proclamation
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation is an executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War using his war powers. It proclaimed the freedom of 3.1 million of the nation's 4 million slaves, and immediately freed 50,000 of them, with nearly...
, and served as a presidential elector for the Republican ticket in 1864.
Postwar activities
Houk first ran for the 2nd District's congressional seat in 1865, but lost to Horace MaynardHorace Maynard
Horace Maynard was an American educator, attorney, politician and diplomat active primarily in the second half of the 19th century...
. In March 1866, however, he was elected circuit court judge of Tennessee's 17th judicial district. At first, Houk supported the policies of Radical Republican
Radical Republican
The Radical Republicans were a loose faction of American politicians within the Republican Party from about 1854 until the end of Reconstruction in 1877...
governor William G. Brownlow
William Gannaway Brownlow
William Gannaway "Parson" Brownlow was an American newspaper editor, minister, and politician who served as Governor of the state of Tennessee from 1865 to 1869 and as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 1869 to 1875...
, including a bill that disenfranchised former Confederate officers, and a bill giving African-Americans in the state the right to vote. However, after a particularly bitter defeat against Maynard (a Brownlow ally) for the Republican nomination during the congressional election of 1868, Houk began distancing himself from the Brownlow regime.
Houk resigned from the bench in 1869 and moved to Knoxville, where he formed a successful law firm with Henry R. Gibson
Henry R. Gibson
Henry Richard Gibson was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 2nd congressional district of Tennessee.-Biography:...
. In 1872, he was elected to the Tennessee state legislature, but served just one term. He again sought his party's nomination for Congress in 1874 against Jacob Thornburgh
Jacob Montgomery Thornburgh
Jacob Montgomery Thornburgh was an American attorney and politician who represented Tennessee's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1873 to 1879...
(Maynard had been gerrymandered out of the district in 1872), but withdrew after another particularly divisive campaign.
The Houk Machine
After Thornburgh retired in 1878, Houk finally gained the Republican nomination for Congress, narrowly defeating Knoxville Chronicle editor William RuleWilliam Rule (American editor)
William Rule was an American newspaper editor and politician, best known as the founder of the Knoxville Journal, which was published in Knoxville, Tennessee, from 1870 until 1991. A protégé of vitriolic newspaper editor William G...
, and was elected to the Forty-sixth Congress later that year. Sensing that East Tennesseans were weary of national issues, Houk focused on local concerns, namely veterans' issues and the demand for federal government seed. He was chairman of the House Committee on War Claims during the Forty-seventh congress, and went to great lengths to get compensation for East Tennessee Unionists who suffered property damage during the war.
In 1881, Houk thwarted Rule's attempt to become Knoxville's postmaster, and instead helped his old mentor Oliver P. Temple get the appointment. An enraged Rule ran against Houk for the Republican nomination, and after a hostile campaign, both claimed the nomination and ran against one another in the general election. Houk won handily, and afterward ran virtually unopposed for four subsequent terms. During this period, he went to considerable lengths to broaden the party's reach beyond its radical roots. With Brownlow and the party's older leaders dead or retired, Houk became the leader of Tennessee's Republicans, and thus controlled the party's presidential patronage.
By the late-1880s, Houk had formed an unspoken alliance with the state's Democrats (who now dominated state politics) in which he traded federal influence during Republican presidencies for a say in state affairs. In 1888, however, Henry Clay Evans, who disliked what he perceived as Houk's subservience to state Democrats, captured the 3rd District's House seat, and immediately began fighting with Houk over distribution of patronage. Although the 3rd District was gerrymandered to ensure Evans's defeat in 1890, he and Houk continued bickering over patronage and political appointments, and after Houk's death, his son, John C. Houk
John C. Houk
John Chiles Houk was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 2nd congressional district of Tennessee.-Biography:...
, struggled with Evans for several years for control of the state Republican Party.
Death
On May 24, 1891, Houk accidentally drank a bottle of arsenic solution at DePue's drug store in Knoxville, and died the following day. He was interredBurial
Burial is the act of placing a person or object into the ground. This is accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing an object in it, and covering it over.-History:...
in Old Gray Cemetery. Houk's son, John Chiles Houk, succeeded him as the 2nd District's congressman. He held the seat until 1895, and continued to play a role in East Tennessee politics into the 20th century.
Houk's broadening of the Republican platform solidified Republican control of East Tennessee's 1st and 2nd congressional districts. As of 2008, no Democrat has been elected to Congress in either district since Houk's day.