Thomas H. Tongue

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Thomas H. Tongue
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon's 1st district
In office March 4, 1897-January 11, 1903
Preceded by	Binger Hermann
Succeeded by	Binger Hermann

Born	June 23, 1844 Lincolnshire, England
Died	January 11, 1903 Washington, DC
Political party	Republican

Thomas H. Tongue (1844 - 1903) was an Oregon Congressman who served from 1897-1903.

1 Early life
2 Career
3 Congress
4 Family
5 External links
6 References

[edit] Early life

Thomas H. Tongue was born in Lincolnshire, England, on June 23, 1844. There he attended the public schools of England before immigrating to the United States with his parents. The family settled in Washington County, Oregon, in the Tualatin Valley on November 23, 1859. In Oregon Tongue attended the Tualatin Academy, and later graduated from Pacific University in nearby Forest Grove, Oregon. After graduating in 1868 he moved to Hillsboro, Oregon where he studied law.

[edit] Career

Tongue was admitted to the Oregon State Bar in 1870 and began private practice in Hillsboro. Tongue then started his political career as mayor of Hillsboro. He served in that role from December of 1882 to December of 1883, and again from December of 1886 to December of 1887.^[1] Several years later he was chairman of the Republican State convention in 1890. He then served in the State senate from 1888 to 1892. In 1892 Tongue served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention. Two years later he again was chairman of the Republican State convention.

[edit] Congress

Then in 1896 Thomas Tongue was elected as a Republican to the 55th Congress from Oregon's First Congressional District. He was re-elected three times and served in the 56th and 57th United States Congresses before dieing in office before the 58th. His service to Congress began March 4, 1897, and lasted until his death on January 11, 1903, in Washington, D.C.. In the House Tongue was chairman of the Committee on Irrigation of Arid Lands in both the 56th and 57th Congresses. He served alongside William R. Ellis and Malcolm Adelbert Moody as Oregon's House delegates. Also while in Congress, Tongue advocated for the creation of a national park for Crater Lake in Southern Oregon.^[2] He introduced bills to that effect in 1898, 1899, 1901, and 1902 when Crater Lake National Park became the United States fifth national park.^[2]

[edit] Family

Rep. Tongue was buried in Hillsboro, Oregon at the family's private plot next to the Masonic Cemetery (now Pioneer Cemetery). Tongue is the grandfather of Thomas Tongue, an Oregon Supreme Court justice.^[2]