- William Hemphill
William Arnold Hemphill (
May 5 ,1842 –August 17 ,1902 ) [ [http://garrett.atlantahistorycenter.com/gdetail.php?idnum=33392 Franklin Garrett Necrology Database - Atlanta History Center] ] was an American businessman and politician.Hemphill was born in Athens, Georgia. He attended the
University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens where he was a member of thePhi Kappa Literary Society and earned aBachelor of Arts in 1861. After serving as a Confederate Army colonel in theAmerican Civil War , he went toAtlanta 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-secessionistAtlanta Constitution . Styles went broke not able to unload hisAlbany, 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 byEvan Howell .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 theChattahoochee River replacing the need for various wells and cisterns (for fires). Part of the 55 acres 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 inWaco, Texas and suggested what became theCotton States and International Exposition (1895) .He is buried at
Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta.References
[http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/cgi-bin/ebind2html.pl/reed_c06?seq=21 "History of the University of Georgia by Thomas Walter Reed", Thomas Walter Reed, Imprint: Athens, Georgia : University of Georgia, ca. 1949, p.684]
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