A. P. Watson
A photo of Watson from a 1916 campaign advertisement
Oklahoma Pension Commissioner
In office
January 14, 1931 – November 26, 1932
GovernorWilliam H. Murray
Preceded byC.J. Stewart
Succeeded byJ.E. Stinson
Justice of the Peace for Tulsa, Oklahoma
In office
1924–1930
Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner
In office
November 16, 1907 – April 23, 1915
GovernorCharles N. Haskell
Lee Cruce
Robert L. Williams
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byW.D. Humphrey
Personal details
Born(1848-06-11)June 11, 1848
Acworth, Georgia
DiedOctober 24, 1936(1936-10-24) (aged 88)
Ardmore, Oklahoma
Political partyDemocratic Party
Military service
AllegianceConfederate States of America
Branch/serviceConfederate States Army
RankColonel
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War

A.P. Watson was an American farmer, politician, and confederate officer who served as one of the first Oklahoma Corporation Commissioners from 1907 to 1915. He was frequently referred to as the "Potato King of Oklahoma" and was a member of the Democratic Party.

After being impeached in 1915, he was later elected a Justice of the Peace in Tulsa in the 1920s and was appointed as the Oklahoma Pension Commissioner by William H. Murray on January 14, 1931, serving until November 26, 1932.

Early life and career

A.P Watson was born in Acworth, Georgia on June 11, 1848.[1][2] Watson joined the Confederate States Army as a teenager and was one of the youngest commissioned officers, commanding a Georgian regiment at sixteen. His regiment fought in the American Civil War in South Carolina.[3] By the end of war he was a colonel. At 19, he moved with his family to Mississippi. He moved to Shawnee in Indian Territory in 1901.[2]

By 1902 he owned a 75-acre potato farm northwest of Shawnee.[4] In 1902, he was elected vice-president of the Oklahoma and Indian Territories Agricultural Horticulture and Irrigation Society.[5] In 1905, he served as the group's secretary.[6] He was sometimes referred to by the press as the "Potato King of Oklahoma."[lower-alpha 1] In 1904, he was the general of the territorial United Confederate Veterans association.[10] He was also a member of the Woodsmen of the World.[11]

Political career

He ran in the Democratic primary to be Justice of the Peace for Shawnee, Oklahoma in 1904.[12] In 1907, he was one of the Democratic Party's nominees for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, defeating D.A. Crafton and Roy Hays in the September general election.[13] He was described as a Jacksonian Democrat during his first election campaign.[2] In February 1915, the Oklahoma House of Representatives opened an investigation into the corporation commission.[14] After investigating the commission, the house impeached Watson.[15] In April, the Oklahoma Senate found him guilty of two of nine articles of impeachment related to a loan made to his wife by R.K. Wooten which he had endorsed.[16] He was the third Oklahoma politician to be impeached and the second to be removed from office.[lower-alpha 2] W.D. Humphrey was appointed by Governor Robert L. Williams to replace him on the commission.[18]

He immediately launched a re-election campaign for the office.[19] In August 1916, he placed fifth and last in the Democratic primary.[20]

Return to politics after impeachment

In March 1921, state senator Bob Wallace attempted to reopen the senate impeachment inquiry into Watson in order to 'reverse' his impeachment. The Oklahoma News described the actions as an attempt to "whitewash" the conviction.[21] Watson served two terms as the Justice of the Peace for Tulsa, Oklahoma between from 1924 to 1930.[22] He briefly resigned in 1928 due to illness,[23] but won re-election.[24][1] On January 14, 1931, Governor William H. Murray appointed Watson as the Oklahoma Commissioner of Pensions to succeed C.J. Stewart.[25] He resigned on November 26, 1932.[26] He was succeeded by J.E. Stinson on December 1, 1932.[27]

Watson died in the veterans hospital in Ardmore, Oklahoma on October 24, 1936.[22]

Electoral history

1907 Oklahoma Corporation Commission elections[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic A.P. Watson 132,123 54.9 New
Republican D.A. Crafton 99,109 41.1 New
Socialist Roy Hays 9,423 3.9 New
Democratic gain from Swing N/A
1908 Oklahoma Corporation Commission Democratic primary (August 4, 1908)[13]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic A.P. Watson (Incumbent) 29,978 62.0%
Democratic Thomas P. Smith 18,306 37.9%
Turnout 19,658  

Notes

  1. ↑
    • The Oklahoma State Capital,[7]*The Evening News,[8][9] and Shawnee News-Herald[1]
  2. ↑ Giles Farris, the Oklahoma State Printer, was the first to be impeached and removed from office in 1913; P.A. Ballard, Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner, was impeached, but resigned before the Oklahoma Senate could vote on their removal. Watson was officially removed from office on April 23, 1915.[17]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Col. A. P. Watson". Shawnee News-Herald. June 11, 1906. p. 5. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 3 "Col. A. P. Watson". New-State Tribune. April 25, 1907. p. 10. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Happenings at Neighboring Points". The Oklahoma Post. August 3, 1901. p. 8. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Crop Prospects". The Shawnee Herald. May 16, 1902. p. 15. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Horticultural Society and Swine Breeders". The Oklahoma State Capital. February 15, 1902. p. 1. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Grow Fruit and Truck". Custer Courier. January 26, 1905. p. 6. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Crop Will Be Good One". The Oklahoma State Capital. April 21, 1903. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "The Potato King Here". The Evening News. January 23, 1907. p. 8. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Plant Lots of Potatos". The Evening News. January 27, 1906. p. 2. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "General Watson Has Made His Appointments". Shawnee News-Herald. July 16, 1904. p. 1. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Woodmen Intall Officers". The Shawnee Herald. January 2, 1906. p. 1. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Announcements". The Shawnee Herald. April 21, 1904. p. 3. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. 1 2 3 "1907-1912 Results" (PDF). oklahoma.gov. Oklahoma State Election Board. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  14. ↑ "To Investigate Charges Against Comm. A.P. Watson". The Shawnee Daily News-Herald. February 21, 1915. p. 1. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Dropped for Financial Dealings". The New York Times. April 4, 1915. p. 4. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  16. ↑ "Guilty on Two Counts". The Temple Tribune. April 8, 1915. p. 5. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "Impeachment Not New in Oklahoma". The Medford Patriot-Star. October 18, 1923. p. 8. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ "State Capitol Happenings". Randlett Progressor. May 7, 195. p. 3. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ "Watson Seeks Nomination". Durant Weekly News and Bryan County Democrat. July 23, 1915. p. 1. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ "Campbell Russell Will Be Nominee for Corporation Commissioner for Long Term- Leads by 6,000". Lincoln County News. August 10, 1916. p. 1. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ "Watson Case". The Oklahoma News. March 25, 1921. p. 1. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. 1 2 "Illness is Fatal to 'Potato King'". Tulsa Daily World. October 25, 1936. p. 11. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ↑ "A.P. Watson Resigns". Tulsa Daily World. July 24, 1928. p. 15. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ↑ "Notice: Democrats" (Advertisement). Tulsa Tribune. August 6, 1928. p. 1. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ↑ "A.P. Watson to be Head of Pensions". The Lawton Constitution. January 14, 1931. p. 6. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ↑ "State Official to Resign Post". Tulsa Daily World. November 27, 1932. p. 4. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ↑ "Dr. Stinson, Who Saved Murray's Life As Youth, is Pension Commissioner". Muskogee Times-Democrat. December 1, 1932. p. 1. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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