William Hemphill
Encyclopedia
William Arnold Hemphill was an American
businessman and politician.
, Georgia
. He attended the University of Georgia
(UGA) in Athens where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Literary Society
and earned a Bachelor of Arts
in 1861. After serving as a Confederate Army colonel in the American Civil War
, he went to Atlanta from Athens to teach in 1867, but the next year became business manager to assist his father-in-law, Carey Styles, in founding the pro-secessionist Atlanta Constitution. Styles went broke not able to unload his Albany, Georgia
newspaper holdings leaving Hemphill in charge by the next year. His business acumen kept him in charge through many changes including the majority buy-out by Evan Howell
.
He was one of the incorporators of the 1883 Fulton County Street Railroad
(horse cars), which would later become famous for its Nine-Mile Circle
route to what is now Virginia-Highland
.
He began a political life as city councilman-at-large in 1887, the same year he began an unsuccessful banking career. The next few years he served as president of board of education and in 1889 added alderman duties.
While still in control of the Constitution in 1890 he defeated a Black mayoral candidate known now only as "McKinley" and took office the next year.
During his tenure the first building of what became Grady Memorial Hospital
was built and a fresh-water pumping station was established on the Chattahoochee River
replacing the need for various wells and cisterns (for fires). Part of the 55 acres (222,577.3 m²) purchased for the associated reservoir included a newly built street named in his honor Hemphill Ave.
After leaving office, he saw mention of a Cotton Palace in Waco, Texas
and suggested what became the Cotton States and International Exposition (1895)
.
He is buried at Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman and politician.
Biography
Hemphill was born in AthensAthens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. He attended the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
(UGA) in Athens where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Literary Society
Phi Kappa Literary Society
The Phi Kappa Literary Society is a college literary society, located at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia.The Society was founded in 1820 by Joseph Henry Lumpkin, later to become the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia and eponym for the , and by William Crabbe, Edwin...
and earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1861. After serving as a Confederate Army colonel in the American 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...
, he went to Atlanta from Athens to teach in 1867, but the next year became business manager to assist his father-in-law, Carey Styles, in founding the pro-secessionist Atlanta Constitution. Styles went broke not able to unload his Albany, Georgia
Albany, Georgia
Albany is a city in and the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. It is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area and the southwest part of the state. The population was 77,434 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the...
newspaper holdings leaving Hemphill in charge by the next year. His business acumen kept him in charge through many changes including the majority buy-out by Evan Howell
Evan Howell
Evan Park Howell was an American politician and early telegraph operator, as well as an officer in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War....
.
He was one of the incorporators of the 1883 Fulton County Street Railroad
Fulton County Street Railroad
The Fulton County Street Railroad Company of Atlanta, Georgia was organized in 1883 by:* James W. English, businessman and once mayor of Atlanta* J. Henry Porter, who was once a city councilman...
(horse cars), which would later become famous for its Nine-Mile Circle
Nine-Mile Circle
The Nine-Mile Circle was a streetcar line of the Atlanta Street Railway, later the Atlanta Consolidated Street Railway which went from downtown Atlanta to today's Virginia Highland neighborhood as follows:...
route to what is now Virginia-Highland
Virginia-Highland
Virginia-Highland is a neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, founded in the early 20th century as a streetcar suburb. It is named after the intersection of Virginia Avenue and North Highland Avenue, the heart of a busy commercial district at the center of the neighborhood. The neighborhood is famous...
.
He began a political life as city councilman-at-large in 1887, the same year he began an unsuccessful banking career. The next few years he served as president of board of education and in 1889 added alderman duties.
While still in control of the Constitution in 1890 he defeated a Black mayoral candidate known now only as "McKinley" and took office the next year.
During his tenure the first building of what became Grady Memorial Hospital
Grady Memorial Hospital
Grady Memorial Hospital, frequently referred to as Grady Hospital or simply Grady, is the largest hospital in the state of Georgia and the public hospital for the city of Atlanta. It is the 5th largest public hospital in the United States, as well as one the busiest Level I trauma centers in the...
was built and a fresh-water pumping station was established on the Chattahoochee River
Chattahoochee River
The Chattahoochee River flows through or along the borders of the U.S. states of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers and emptying into Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of...
replacing the need for various wells and cisterns (for fires). Part of the 55 acres (222,577.3 m²) purchased for the associated reservoir included a newly built street named in his honor Hemphill Ave.
After leaving office, he saw mention of a Cotton Palace in Waco, Texas
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
and suggested what became the Cotton States and International Exposition (1895)
Cotton States and International Exposition (1895)
The 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition was held at the current Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Georgia. It is most remembered for the speech given by Booker T. Washington on September 18, 1895....
.
He is buried at Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta.