Charles H. Graves

C.H. Graves
19th Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives
In office 1889–1891
Preceded by	William Rush Merriam
Succeeded by	Ezra T. Champlin
8th Mayor of Duluth
In office 1881–1883
Preceded by	J.D. Ensign
Succeeded by	Joshua B. Culver
Personal details
Born	August 14, 1839(?) Springfield, Massachusetts
Died	1928
Political party	Republican
Residence	Duluth, Minnesota
Profession	Soldier Diplomat

Charles Hinman "C. H." Graves (August 14, 1839 – October 7, 1928) was an American army officer, politician, and diplomat.

Military

Hinman was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. After the outbreak of the Civil War, he joined the Army of the Potomac as a Sergeant. Breveted four times for gallantry in action, he participated in many battles in the Eastern Theater, and finished the war at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. The war over, Graves decided to stay in the army until December 1870, at which time he was discharged from the Thirty-fourth infantry.^[1]

Politics

Following his discharge from the army, Graves moved to the port city of Duluth, Minnesota, where he initially involved himself various business ventures including shipping, real estate, iron mining, and insurance, and became the first person to ship wheat from Duluth's port in 1871.^[2] He then entered local politics, first as a Republican in the Minnesota Senate representing District 29 from 1873 to 1876.^[3] He then served as Mayor of Duluth from 1881 to 1883.^[4] On November 11, 1888 he was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives from District 46, serving a term from January 9, 1889 to January 5, 1891, during which time he served as Speaker of the House for the twenty-sixth Minnesota Legislature.^[3]

Diplomacy

Graves was later appointed as United States Ambassador to Sweden from 1905 to 1913 and to Norway from 1905 to 1906. Just before leaving for his posts, Graves announced at a farewell banquet that he would be marrying a Miss Alice Kinney from Athens, Pennsylvania on April 25.^[5]

Notes

1. His obituary in The New York Times claims he was a captain at that time, whereas Minnesota's State Capitol and the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library state he was a Colonel.
2. Thompson, 5.
3. Minnesota Legislative Reference Library
4. The New York Times
5. "Col. C. H. Graves to Marry". The New York Times. 1905-04-10.

References

• Hinman Family
• "Minnesota Legislators Past and Present: Graves, Charles Hinman "C.H."". Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
• "Col. C.H. Graves, Ex-Diplomat, Dies". The New York Times. 1928-10-08.
• Thompson, Neil B. (1974). Minnesota's State Capitol: The Art and Politics of a Public Building. Minnesota Historical Society Press. ISBN 978-0-87351-085-1.