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54-690: Merriam was born in 1865 in Hopkinton, Iowa , the eldest of 11 children. In 1861, his father Henry C. Merriam and uncle Charles E. Merriam enlisted in Company K, 12th Iowa Infantry. Both were captured at the Battle of Shiloh , held as prisoners of war at Libby Prison , and returned to Iowa. After graduating from Lenox College at Hopkinton in 1888, Merriam served as the principal of the Hopkinton schools for two years and superintendent of schools at Postville for one year. He

108-534: A cabinet -level California Authority for Production agency to oversee state employment. The Commonwealth Party's Haight relied on centrists from the Democrats who believed that Sinclair had driven the party too far to the left. Merriam's campaign rallied state conservatives into the so-called "Stop Sinclair" movement. Among supporters were MGM studio head Louis B. Mayer , media tycoon William Randolph Hearst , and Los Angeles Times publisher Harry Chandler . During

162-508: A charge on horseback. Later, protestors surrounded a police car and attempted to overturn it, but were met by gunshots in the air, and quickly afterwards, shots into the crowd itself. Later in the day, police raided an ILA union hall, shooting tear gas into the building and into other local hotels. Merriam, only governor for a month, threw the state government into the fray. As reports of growing violence in San Francisco reached Sacramento by

216-470: A female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.03. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.0% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

270-531: A female householder with no spouse or partner present and 21.1% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 36.0% of all households were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals, 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older. The median age in the city was 39.5 years. 28.3% of the residents were under the age of 20; 3.5% were between the ages of 20 and 24; 25.9% were from 25 and 44; 24.9% were from 45 and 64; and 17.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of

324-548: A lawyer before entering the family business in Portland . Politically an independent , Meier served a single term as the 20th Governor of Oregon from 1931 to 1935. He is the only independent to be elected Governor of Oregon. Meier was born in Portland to German immigrants of Jewish ancestry: Aaron, a merchant and founder of Oregon's largest department store , Meier & Frank , and Jeannette (Hirsch) Meier. He had three siblings, and

378-513: A second full term. Merriam Handily Lost Reelection to Olson, ending the Republican dynasty over the governorship that had lasted for forty years beginning with the election of Governor Henry Gage in 1898. Merriam received 44% of the vote to Olson's 52%. Merriam resided in the Bluff Park neighborhood of Long Beach, California. After his defeat, Merriam retired from public life. In 1941 he joined

432-580: A turning point. In addition to the Guard's deployment, federal troops of the U.S. Army were placed on stand-by in the Presidio if the situation grew beyond the Guard's control. Merriam also ordered the halt of construction on the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge until the violence in San Francisco subsided. Within the day, 1,500 Guardsmen armed with fixed bayonets and machine guns patrolled

486-622: The Columbia River Highway , first west from Portland to Astoria (1912–1915) and later east from Portland to The Dalles (1913–1922). His daughter, Jean, would later recall that he walked or crawled every inch of the highway's projected roadway. In the 1920s, as an attorney and highly involved in Portland's Republican Party, Meier took over Henry L. Corbett 's work between the party and the city government, meaning he received monthly payments from organized crime, especially Prohibition-era liquor and gambling operations. The full monthly payment

540-594: The Legislature a tax increase of nearly $ 107 million. The tax reform laws included instituting a state personal income tax modeled after the Federal Income Tax of 1934 , which had been created by the Democratic-controlled Congress , and raising sales taxes to 3%. The Legislature agreed and passed the tax reform law in 1935. William Randolph Hearst, whose newspapers provided one of the bulwarks of

594-568: The Maquoketa River . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 0.62 square miles (1.61 km ), all land. As of the census of 2020, there were 622 people, 261 households, and 167 families residing in the city. The population density was 968.7 inhabitants per square mile (374.0/km ). There were 286 housing units at an average density of 445.4 per square mile (172.0/km ). The racial makeup of

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648-660: The Oregon Liquor Control Commission (after Prohibition ended), founding the Oregon State Police , helping create a State Board of Agriculture and State Unemployment Commission, pressing for the adoption of a non-partisan judicial system, and using his business acumen to help the state navigate the financial tribulations of the Great Depression . Efforts to establish a sales tax and public power were not immediately successful, though Federal legislation

702-649: The U.S. Department of Labor in order to settle the dispute. After his unexpected death in June, these efforts were suspended. Furthermore, negotiations between the federal government and local ILA organizers failed to yield any agreement. On July 5, 1934, as more attempts to open the Port of San Francisco were made by employers, hostilities between strikers, their sympathizers, and the police reached their zenith. Later known as "Bloody Thursday", San Francisco Police shot tear gas at strikers and sympathizers on Rincon Hill , followed by

756-471: The poverty line , including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over. The Maquoketa Valley Community School District operates local area public schools. Julius L. Meier Julius L. Meier (December 31, 1874 – July 14, 1937) was an American businessman, civic leader, and politician in the state of Oregon . The son of the Meier & Frank department store founder, he would become

810-550: The Assembly, Merriam presided over the successful election campaign of former Bull Moose member and Republican candidate for governor Friend Richardson . Name recognition from Richardson's successful campaign among fellow Republicans helped Merriam be elected by the Republican majority in the Assembly as its Speaker in 1923. During the 1926 general elections, Speaker Merriam ran as a primary candidate for lieutenant governor . However, state Republicans instead voted for Buron Fitts as

864-701: The California Society of the Sons of the American Revolution . Following the death of former Governor and U.S. Senator Hiram Johnson in 1945, a brief write-in campaign for Merriam appeared, though it only garnered 500 votes. He died at home in Long Beach of a heart attack, at age 89, on April 25, 1955. Hopkinton, Iowa Hopkinton is a city in Delaware County , Iowa , United States. The population

918-653: The Columbia River in Corbett, Oregon , designed by architect Herman Brookman , where he died in 1937. He is buried at Beth Israel Cemetery in Portland. His family sold Menucha in 1950 to the First Presbyterian Church of Portland , which now operates it as a conference and retreat center. The Meier and Frank families sold the department store chain to the May Company in 1966. With May's sale to Federated in 2005,

972-602: The Council of National Defense, and after the war aided in the rehabilitation of France. He also headed the Oregon Commission of the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, and in 1922 attempted to bring a world's fair to Portland in 1925. An important accomplishment was his leading the Columbia River Highway Association, the citizen committee creating political support for building

1026-515: The Legislature's 1935 reform laws in a special referendum in 1936 with Proposition 2. The proposition would automatically repeal the tax reforms and would in the future require the support of two-thirds of the Legislature and approval of voters by statewide referendum before any new income tax could be imposed. The measure, however, was defeated. While the State Senate was controlled by Republicans,

1080-482: The San Francisco Labor Council voted for a general strike . For four days from July 16 to July 19, the activity in the city ground to a halt. Mayor Angelo J. Rossi requested more Guardsman in the city, and in meetings with generals, plans were drawn to impose martial law over the entire city. However, with a heavily armed National Guard presence along the waterfront, violence did not break out again. In

1134-576: The campaign, Mayer turned multiple studio lots in Los Angeles into propaganda machines, churning out fake newsreels to be played before feature-length films in the state. One notable newsreel included Soviets arriving in California to vote for Sinclair. Also during the campaign, Merriam frequented football games and public events, and on one occasion, attended a hospital talking to deaf mutes through an interpreter. Many such events were quickly publicized by

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1188-470: The city was 51.6% male and 48.4% female. As of the census of 2010, there were 628 people, 266 households, and 185 families living in the city. The population density was 1,012.9 inhabitants per square mile (391.1/km ). There were 294 housing units at an average density of 474.2 per square mile (183.1/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 99.0% White , 0.3% from other races , and 0.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.8% of

1242-433: The city was 93.6% White , 1.8% Black or African American , 0.6% Native American , 0.5% Asian , 0.0% Pacific Islander , 0.0% from other races and 3.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino persons of any race comprised 1.1% of the population. Of the 261 households, 30.3% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 9.6% were cohabitating couples, 22.6% had

1296-478: The city. The population density was 1,103.5 inhabitants per square mile (426.1/km ). There were 292 housing units at an average density of 473.2 per square mile (182.7/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 98.68% White , and 1.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.15% of the population. There were 275 households, out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 11.3% had

1350-581: The conservative San Francisco press for his perceived victory over the strikers. During the strike, state Republicans nominated the Governor to run for a full term in the general election that November. Merriam, however, had threatened not to deploy the California National Guard to San Francisco if the party would not nominate him. Running against Merriam in the 1934 elections was former Socialist Party member Upton Sinclair , who had surprisingly won

1404-433: The conservative press. The result of the 1934 general election saw Merriam defeating Sinclair with 48% of the vote to Sinclair's 37%. Haight garnered 13%. After the election, Merriam announced that the result was "[a] rebuke to socialism and communism." The 1934 general election is generally remembered as one of the most hotly contested elections in California history. It has also been cited by political historians as one of

1458-411: The crucial lower house Assembly , where finance bills originated, was split between conservative and socialist-leaning Democrats. Merriam proceeded with appeasing the closely divided Legislature by praising the federal Townsend Plan , while complaining to conservatives and other capitalist supporters that he was surrounded by fanatics. By the 1938 general election, Merriam had lost much support from

1512-559: The docks of San Francisco . Beginning in May 1934, longshoremen along the West Coast walked off the job to strike, protesting against the ILA national leadership's negotiated settlements with transportation and cargo companies. Longshoremen demanded six-hour days, closed shops , and the right to unionize freely. Activity in the ports of San Francisco and Oakland ground to a halt. Teamsters soon joined

1566-495: The family's business. According to family tradition, it was at this time that he added the "L" to his name; the sign painter, who was putting his name on the door, insisted that all lawyers of substance had a middle name, so Meier suggested an "L". Meier devoted 30 years to civic involvement before entering elective politics. A noted philanthropist, he also kept a high profile leading many good causes. During World War I, he headed Liberty Loan drives, served as regional director of

1620-428: The first modern elections, due to the various uses of popular media and rhetoric to both popularize and demonize candidates. Upon beginning his full term, Merriam immediately faced an ever-shrinking state budget and growing deficit. In an effort that later angered many powerful conservative backers who had originally supported his 1934 candidacy, as well as challenging his own deep-seated conservatism, Merriam proposed to

1674-542: The governor's 1934 campaign, complained bitterly over the reformed tax laws. The Hearst-owned San Francisco Examiner ' s editorial shortly after the reform bills' passage read: "extortionate and confiscatory taxation will mean ... devastation of business, paralysis of industry." Fanning the growing rift between Merriam and conservative Republicans, right-wing author and playwright Charles Gilman Norris penned letters that became widely circulated thanks to Hearst's newspaper empire, complaining of Merriam's reforms. "The minute

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1728-679: The longshoremen in their walk-out. Popular support for the strikers also grew from various segments of the urban working-class, left unemployed by the Great Depression . By the strike's second month, violence had begun to break out along the Embarcadero as San Francisco Police clashed with the strikers during attempts to escort hired labor to the docks. Municipal officials accused the ILA's ranks filled with Communists and other left-wing radicals. As governor, James Rolph had consulted with other West Coast governors such as Julius L. Meier of Oregon and Clarence D. Martin of Washington to bring in

1782-700: The meantime, the police, now backed up by National Guardsmen, raided and arrested militant and radical offices of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) leaders and sympathizers. By July 19, the General Strike Committee and the Labor Council ordered an end to the strike, demanding its picketers to accept arbitration from the federal government. With the strike broken by its less militant leadership, longshoremen grudgingly returned to work. Less than three years later, Governor Merriam

1836-560: The minute, Merriam activated the California Army National Guard , deploying regiments to San Francisco's waterfront. In the weeks before "Bloody Thursday", Merriam had remained updated on the ongoing labor dispute, threatening only to activate the Guard if the situation grew too serious. Behind the public scenes, however, the Governor had confided to fellow Republicans that ordering the Guard into San Francisco would ruin him politically. The events of July 5, however, proved to be

1890-583: The nomination of the Democratic Party for governor. A third-party candidate, Raymond L. Haight of the Commonwealth-Progressive Party , also challenged Merriam. During the campaign, Sinclair promoted the EPIC project , a socialist work program to ensure universal employment for all Californians, complete with the state control of factories, the opening of farm cooperatives and the creation of

1944-660: The nomination, the Republican Party selected Phil Metschan, Jr. , son of a former Oregon state treasurer and affiliated with the KKK, as a replacement nominee. In contrast to a core element of Joseph's platform, Metschan opposed public development of hydroelectric power along the Columbia River . Meier entered the race as an independent candidate, adopting Joseph's platform. In spite of opposition to his candidacy by The Oregonian (the state's largest newspaper), he won 54.5% of

1998-470: The party's candidate for that office. Following his departure from the Assembly that year, Merriam took a two-year hiatus from state politics. He returned in the 1928 elections after he was elected to the California State Senate . After two years in that body, Merriam won the nomination for lieutenant governor and, along with the Republican candidate for governor, San Francisco Mayor James Rolph,

2052-440: The population. There were 266 households, of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.5% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

2106-675: The proposed State Income Tax becomes law, my wife, Kathleen Norris , and myself will put both our homes — the one in Palo Alto and our ranch near Saratoga — up for sale and move out of the State. There is no alternative for us. We pay 52% of our income now to the Federal Government at Washington and under the proposed State Income Tax Law, we shall have to pay an additional 18%, so that out of every dollar we earn from our writings, 70¢ will go out in taxes!" Hearst supporters challenged Merriam's and

2160-603: The right due to the tax reform laws and support for Social Security , while he garnered little support or sympathy from the left due to his troubled relationship with labor unions and the squelching of the Longshore Strike. In the primaries, the Democratic Party nominated State Senator Culbert Olson , a former EPIC and Upton Sinclair supporter as well as an unabashed supporter of President Franklin D. Roosevelt 's New Deal . Republicans, meanwhile, renominated Merriam for

2214-458: The total vote, outdistancing his nearest competitor, Democratic candidate Edward F. Bailey , 135,608 votes to 62,434. Meier's overwhelming victory was viewed as a reflection of strong public support for public hydropower development. Meier's graft continued as governor, as he "diligently went after corruption and graft everywhere his political enemies were practicing it". For instance, his Republican gubernatorial competitor, Phil Metschan, Jr.,

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2268-487: The waterfront, with an additional 5,000 state troops on reserve. Explaining to the United Press the following day, Merriam placed full blame of "Bloody Thursday" on the political Left . "The leaders of the striking longshoremen are not free from Communist and subversive influences...There will be no turning back from the position I have taken in this matter." Following the funerals of the two men slain on "Bloody Thursday",

2322-522: Was $ 175,000; Meier received his portion as cash from florist Tommy Luke, a close friend of Mayor George Luis Baker . In the 1930 gubernatorial election , George W. Joseph —who had been disbarred during an extensive dispute with the Oregon Supreme Court over the will and estate of E. Henry Wemme —won the Republican nomination for Governor of Oregon , but died shortly after. When Meier declined

2376-427: Was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.76. The median age in the city was 43.8 years. 24% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.6% were from 25 to 44; 28.7% were from 45 to 64; and 19.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.2% male and 50.8% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 681 people, 275 households, and 187 families living in

2430-407: Was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 33,958, and the median income for a family was $ 42,589. Males had a median income of $ 28,333 versus $ 19,773 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 13,707. About 3.4% of families and 4.9% of the population were below

2484-452: Was 622 at the time of the 2020 census . Hopkinton was laid out in 1850, and it was incorporated in 1874. The city is the former home of Lenox College , a small school that closed in 1944. The old campus is still maintained as Delaware County Historical Museum Complex . Hopkinton is located at 42°20′38″N 91°14′55″W  /  42.34389°N 91.24861°W  / 42.34389; -91.24861 (42.3438857, -91.2484799), near

2538-639: Was a school superintendent in Wisner, Nebraska . He next became the editor of the Hopkinton Leader , a newspaper. In 1904, he moved to Muskogee, Oklahoma, where he owned and published the Muskogee Evening Times . He moved to Long Beach, California in 1910 with his second wife, Nellie, to attend to family obligations. There he worked in the advertising department of the Long Beach Press . Merriam

2592-536: Was called upon to intervene in another labor dispute, the Stockton Cannery Strike of 1937 in which one person died and 50 injured. Merriam refused to call up the National Guard this time, but did play a significant role in mediating between the two sides after the violence to get the canneries open and save the $ 6 million spinach crop. In the aftermath of the Longshore Strike, Merriam was highly praised by

2646-410: Was demanded. Many rumors swirled around Akin's death. Polhemus was eventually cleared of charges of graft. Meier served for one term (1931–1935), declining to run for a second term for reasons of health. He hired George W. Joseph Jr. as a legal adviser during the first legislative session of his administration, paying the younger Joseph's salary personally. Among his accomplishments were establishing

2700-477: Was elected to office in the 1930 elections . On June 2, 1934, Governor Rolph was pronounced dead of heart failure at Riverside Farm in Santa Clara County . Upon the news of the Governor's death, Lieutenant Governor Merriam was sworn in as governor. Nearly immediately after assuming the governorship, Merriam faced labor agitation, particularly by members of the International Longshoremen's Association on

2754-584: Was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives as a Republican at the age of 31 in 1896. Two years later, Merriam was elected as Iowa State Auditor , a post he would hold until 1903. In 1910 at the age of 44, Merriam moved to California . Following seven years of living in the state, Merriam was elected to the California State Assembly in 1916, representing the Long Beach area, beginning his rise in California politics. In 1922, while still serving in

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2808-586: Was on the Port of Portland board. Meier sent an aggressive forensic accountant, Frank Akin , to determine what fraud was occurring there. Akin clearly discovered problems but was murdered the day before he was slated to present it to the Oregon state legislature , and had also begun an investigation of the Portland Water Bureau . The evidence against the Port's James H. Polhemus was already public and his resignation

2862-540: Was passed in 1933 authorizing the public development of the Bonneville and Grand Coulee dams. Time magazine reported in 1937 that Meier had sunk most of his fortune into what it called his "pet financial hobby", the American National Bank of Portland, which was closed in June 1933 and its assets and liabilities acquired by First National Bank. After serving as governor he retired to "Menucha", his estate above

2916-461: Was the father of Jean Ellen Meier Ehrman Reichert, Elsa Frances Meier Ganz, and Julius L. (Jack) Meier, Jr. He married Grace Mayer on Christmas Day, 1901, saying afterwards that it was the only day that he was allowed off from the store. Meier graduated from the University of Oregon School of Law in 1895 and practiced law with a partner, George W. Joseph for the next four years, until he went into

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