Thomas S. Kimball Explained

Thomas S. Kimball
State Senate1:Arizona
District1:Graham County
Term Start1:January 1923
Term End1:December 1924
Predecessor1:Joseph H. Lines
Successor1:Joseph H. Lines
Term Start2:January 1927
Term End2:December 1930
Predecessor2:Joseph H. Lines
Successor2:W. B. Kelly
Birth Date:1862
Birth Place:Salt Lake City, Utah
Death Place:Thatcher, Arizona
Nationality:American
Party:Democrat
Spouse:Frances Ada Williams
Residence:Thatcher
Profession:Politician

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.

Biography

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. In Thatcher, he engaged in farming, and was the first man to bring a steam thresher into the valley in 1914. He was married to Frances Ada Williams on October 15, 1883. He was very active in the LDS Church. Kimball was also heavily involved in the mining industry.[4]

In 1914, he ran unsuccessfully for the Graham County Board of Supervisors.[5] [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]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Church History Biographical Database: Thomas Stepen Kimball. The Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints. September 4, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220904184714/https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/chd/individual/thomas-s-kimball-1862?lang=eng&timelineTabs=allTabs. September 4, 2022.
  2. News: Death of Mrs. Kennington. Graham Guardian. April 19, 1912. 4. Newspapers.com.
  3. News: T. S. Kimball, Pioneer, Dies . Arizona Republic. October 30, 1939. 4. Newspapers.com.
  4. News: Powers Mine To Ship Ore. Arizona Republic. October 13, 1933. 14. Newspapers.com.
  5. News: Seek Nominations. Graham Guardian. May 22, 1914. 6. Newspapers.com.
  6. News: Mark A. Smith Sweeps the State. Graham Guardian. September 11, 1914. 1. Newspapers.com.
  7. News: Official List of Nomination Papers Filed. Graham Guardian. August 15, 1922. 1. Newspapers.com.
  8. News: Official Count of Ballots Cast For Nominees. Graham Guardian. September 19, 1922. 2. Newspapers.com.
  9. News: Democrats Take Six Graham County Posts. Tombstone Weekly Epitaph. November 12, 1922. 2. Newspapers.com.
  10. News: Candidates In Graham County Race Numerous. The Arizona Republican. August 20, 1924. 12. Newspapers.com.
  11. News: Graham Democrats Select Pro-Pact Senate Candidate. The Arizona Republican. September 16, 1924. 2. Newspapers.com.
  12. News: The Next Legislature. . September 22, 1926. 12. Newspapers.com.
  13. News: Graham Returns Show Results In County Contests. The Arizona Republican. November 6, 1926. 4. Newspapers.com.
  14. News: Graham County. The Arizona Republican. November 8, 1926. 8. Newspapers.com.
  15. News: Members of the Arizona River Commission Plan To Leave Tonight For Denver Meet. The Arizona Republican. September 16, 1927. 11. Newspapers.com.
  16. News: Republicans To Have 17 Seats In Lower House. The Arizona Republican. November 7, 1928. 26. Newspapers.com.
  17. News: Safford Newspaper Man Nominated. The Arizona Republican. September 11, 1930. 3. Newspapers.com.
  18. News: Graham. Arizona Republic. September 2, 1934. 4. Newspapers.com.
  19. News: Legislature To See Big Change. Arizona Daily Star. September 14, 1934. 1. Newspapers.com.
  20. News: Thomas Kimball Dies At Safford. Arizona Daily Star. October 30, 1939. 3. Newspapers.com.
  21. News: T. S. Kimball Suffers Stroke. Arizona Republic. October 29, 1939. 86. Newspapers.com.