Bradley Smalley

Bradley Barlow Smalley (November 26, 1835 – November 6, 1909) was an American politician who served in the Vermont House of Representatives for two terms and on the Burlington Board of Aldermen. He was the Collector of the Port of Burlington from 1885 to 1889, and 1893 to 1897, and was a member of the Democratic National Committee from 1875 to 1908.

Smalley was born in Jericho, Vermont, the son of David Allen Smalley. He became a court clerk in 1861, was admitted to the bar in 1863, and was a founding member of the Vermont Bar Association. During the American Civil War he worked as an aide-de-camp under Governor Frederick Holbrook. Heavily involved in the activities of the Vermont Democratic Party, Smalley was Vermont's member to the DNC and attended four Democratic National Conventions. He unsuccessfully sought the positions of speaker, United States Senator, and Governor of Vermont.

Bradley Barlow Smalley was born on November 26, 1835, in Jericho, Vermont, to jurist David Allen Smalley and Laura Barlow, the daughter of banker and politician Bradley Barlow. Their family moved to Burlington, Vermont, when Smalley was four years old.^[2]

William H. Hoyt resigned from his position as clerk of the United States District Court for the District of Vermont on January 1, 1861. Smalley was appointed to replace him the same day and held the position until July 1, 1885.^[3][4] That same year Governor Frederick Holbrook selected him as an aide-de-camp with the rank of colonel,^[5] and he assisted with the enlisting, equipping, and forwarding to the front lines of Vermont recruits during the American Civil War.^[2]

Smalley was admitted to the bar in Chittenden County on October 3, 1863,^[6] and the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York in 1869.^[7] When his father resigned from his judicial position in 1877, Smalley personally delivered the resignation letter to Washington, D.C.^[8] He was a founding member of the Vermont Bar Association in 1878.^[9]

In 1869, Morrillo Noyes, Smalley, and other people purchased the Sentinel, a newspaper in Burlington which had ceased publication shortly before.^[10][11] Smalley served a director of the Central Vermont Railway and Rutland Railroad Company.^[2]

President Grover Cleveland appointed Smalley collector of the port of Burlington, a position his father held, and he served from September 1, 1885, to September 1, 1889, and September 1, 1893, to October 1, 1897.^[2][12] Smalley was replaced by George Grenville Benedict in 1889,^[13] and Olin Merrill in 1897.^[14]

President Benjamin Harrison created a commission to negotiate with the Cheyenne in 1890,^[15] and place them into an indian reservation.^[16] Nelson A. Miles chaired the commission,^[17] and Smalley was one of its members.^[15] An agreement in October 1890 resulted in the Cheyenne ceding their land and each member being given 160 acres of land.^[18]

Smalley was appointed to the committee of Burlington's Democratic Party in 1855,^[19] and chaired the Burlington Democratic caucus in 1870.^[20] At the 1855 state convention of the Vermont Democratic Party he was assistant secretary^[21] and one of the secretaries at the 1869 state convention.^[22] He was elected to the state committee of the Vermont Democrats in 1870.^[23] He was the political boss of the Vermont Democrats^[24] and was in charge of political patronage.^[25]

Smalley was a substitute delegate from Vermont's 3rd congressional district to the 1860 Democratic National Convention in Charleston, South Carolina,^[26][27] and an alternate delegate to the 1866 National Union Convention.^[28] As a delegate to the 1872 Democratic National Convention, he served on the committee on permanent organization.^[29][2] He was a delegate to the 1876, 1880, and 1884 conventions.^[2] An opponent of free silver, Smalley fought for the gold standard in the platform at the 1896 convention.^[30] He opposed William Randolph Hearst's candidacy at the 1904 convention and stated that nominating Hearst would be "suicide for the Democratic Party".^[31]

H.B. Smith, Vermont's member of the Democratic National Committee, died in 1875, and Smalley was appointed to replace him.^[32] He held the position until he declined to seek reelection in 1908, citing poor health, and was succeeded by Thomas H. Brown.^[33][34] The DNC selected him to serve as secretary in 1892.^[35]

In 1865, Smalley was elected as an election inspector for Burlington's South Ward.^[36][37] Leverett B. Englesby defeated Smalley for Chittenden County State's Attorney in 1866 and 1867.^[38][39][40] L. Underwood resigned as alderman from the North Ward in 1865,^[41] and Smalley ran to replace him, but lost to Noble B. Flanagan.^[42] F.M. Van Sicklen defeated Smalley for a seat on Burlington's Board of Aldermen from the south ward in 1868.^[43][44]

At the 1874 Burlington Democratic caucus he nominated Calvin H. Blodgett for mayor.^[45] Blodgett, a member of the Board of Aldermen, was elected mayor, and a special election was held for his 5th ward seat. The Republicans and Democrats both gave their nominations to Smalley, who won^[46][47][48] and was reelected in 1875.^[49]

In 1874, Smalley was elected to represent Burlington in the Vermont House of Representatives.^[50] 52 representatives voted for him in the 1874 Speaker vote on the second ballot, behind H. Henry Powers's 125.^[51] Torrey E. Wales defeated him in 1876,^[52] but he defeated Wales in 1878.^[53] During his tenure he proposed legislation to move the state's capital from Montpelier, Vermont, to Burlington.^[54]

Incumbent U.S. Senator George F. Edmunds defeated Smalley in the 1880 U.S. Senate election^[55] and Republican nominee Levi K. Fuller defeated Smalley in the 1892 gubernatorial election.^[56]

Smalley was an Episcopalian.^[57] He married Caroline Maria Baxter on June 4, 1860, in Burlington, and the couple had five children.^[58][2] Caroline was the niece of U.S. Representative Portus Baxter and daughter of Carlos Baxter, who served in the state legislature as a Whig.^[59] One of their children died from diphtheria at age 7 in 1885.^[60] Smalley's daughter Caroline married John Holmes Jackson.^[2]

Smalley died in Burlington on November 6, 1909,^[2] and Caroline died on March 16, 1915.^[61] They were buried at Green Mount Cemetery in Burlington.^[62][63] After Smalley's death, his daughter and Jackson donated land that formerly belonged to him to become a park in Burlington.^[64]