Thomas Christmas Riggs Jr. (1873 - 1945)

Born 17 Oct 1873 in Ilchester, Howard, Maryland, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Renee Marie (Coudert) Riggs — married 30 Apr 1913 in Manhattan, New York County, New York, United States

Died 16 Jan 1945 at age 71 in Washington, District of Columbia, United States

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Preceded by 2nd Territorial Governor John Franklin Alexander Strong

Thomas Riggs, Jr. 3rd Governor of Alaska Territory 1918—1921

Succeeded by 4th Territorial Governor Scott Cordelle Bone

Biography

Thomas Riggs Jr. is Notable.

Thomas Christmas RIggs, Jr., the 3rd Governor of Alaska, was born on October 17, 1873 was born to Thomas and Catherine Winter in Ilchester, Maryland.

He attended Emerson Institute along with a variety of schools located in the United States and Germany. At Princeton University, he majored in Civil Engineering.

Thomas held several jobs after school...a newspaper reporter in Tacoma, Washington, his family's lumber business in Bucoda, participant in the Klondike Goldrush, and a mining engineer in Idaho, Montana and Utah. By 1903, he had joined the United States and Canada Boundary Survey. In 1906, he joined the team assigned to survey the Alaska and Canada border, rising from the rank of surveyor to United States Engineer-in-charge.

On April 30, 1913, he married Renee Marie Coudert at her mother's home in New York City. They would have two children: Elizabeth and Thomas III.

In May of 1914, President Woodrow Wilson appointed him to the Alaskan Railroad Commission. In the appointment, he oversaw the construction of the Alaska Railroad, being primarily in charge of the Fairbanks portion.

On April 12, 1918, President Wilson confirmed Thomas as the 3rd Governor of the Alaska Territory. During World War I, the Alaska Territory was a leader in the sale of war bonds and war savings stamps under his leadership. Because transportation was a major issue during his leadership, he proposed a fleet of ships to function as a territorial shipping service. Unfortunately, Congress blocked this proposal.

During the Spanish flu epidemic, he ordered doctors to meet incoming ships to inspect for signs of the flu. If someone had flu symptoms, they were refused entry into Alaska. Unfortunately, flu still reached Alaska even with restrictions and the native populations were the most vulnerable with an 8% mortality rate. Thomas did authorize funding in medical supplies, for maintaining the quarantine, and allowing for relief efforts.

He left office following the election of Warren G. Harding as President of the United States. Officially, he left on June 15, 1921.

Following his service as Governor, he returned to New York where he worked in mining, oil and construction businesses. He was appointed Vice President of the Macassa Mines of Canada and in 1935, he was appointed as United States Commissioner to the International Boundary Commission.

Thomas passed away on January 16, 1945 in Washington, D.C. at the age of 71. He was buried in Baltimore, Maryland in Green Mount Cemetery.

"Alaska Territorial Governor. A graduate of Princeton University, he settled in Fairbanks. Alaska in the late 1890s and became active in the lumber business. He took part in the Alaska Boundary Survey from 1906 to 1913, received his certification as an engineer, and after was a federal appointee in charge of choosing sites and overseeing construction of the Alaska Railroad. In 1918 he was appointed Governor, and served until 1921, also serving as a Delegate to the 1920 Democratic National Convention. During his governorship Alaska was particularly hard hit by the 1918 influenza epidemic, and Riggs depleted the territory's treasury to care for victims, especially young children who were made orphans when their parents were killed by the disease. In 1936 Riggs was appointed to the International Boundary Commission, the organization that fixed the borders of Canada, the northern United States and Alaska, and served until his death. In 1947, the American Geographical Society named the Riggs Glacier in his honor." (Bio by: Bill McKern/posted on his findagrave.com memorial)

Sources

• Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Year: 1910; Census Place: Skagway, Division 1, Alaska Territory; Roll: T624_1748; Page: 33B; Enumeration District: 0006; FHL microfilm: 1375761.
• Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Year: 1920; Census Place: Juneau, First Judicial District, Alaska Territory; Roll: T625_2030; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 18.
• Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Year: 1940; Census Place: Washington, District of Columbia, District of Columbia; Roll: m-t0627-00556; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 1-107.
• Ancestry.com. U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2019. The Semi-Weekly Spokesman-Review; Publication Date: 17 Jan 1945; Publication Place: Spokane, Washington, USA; https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99921697/obituary-for-thomas-riggs-aged-71/.
• Ancestry.com. New York, New York, U.S., Extracted Marriage Index, 1866-1937 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Verifies marriage to Rene Coudert on 30 Apr 1913 in Manhattan, New York.
• Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005. Registration State: Alaska; Registration County: First Judicial District. United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, 4,582 rolls.
• Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Civilian Draft Registrations, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000. Banks, Ray, comp.. World War I Civilian Draft Registrations.
• Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for New Hampshire, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 91. (his son's draft registration)
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29333088/thomas-christmas-riggs : accessed ), memorial page for Thomas Christmas Riggs Jr. (18 Oct 1873–16 Jan 1945), Find a Grave Memorial ID 29333088, citing Green Mount Cemetery, Baltimore, Baltimore City, Maryland, USA ; Maintained by Find a Grave.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Riggs_Jr.
• Ancestry.com. U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-current [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2020. The Courier-Journal; Publication Date: 9/ May/ 1913; Publication Place: Louisville, Kentucky, USA; https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99922198/marriage-of-coudert-riggs/.
• Ancestry.com. U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-current [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2020. The Washington Times; Publication Date: 1/ May/ 1913; Publication Place: Washington, District of Columbia, USA; https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99922478/marriage-of-riggs-coudert/.
• Ancestry.com. U.S., Register of Civil, Military, and Naval Service, 1863-1959 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Department of Commerce and Labor, Bureau of the Census. Official Register of the United States, Containing a List of the Officers and Employees in the Civil, Military, and Naval Service. Digitized books (77 volumes). Oregon State Library, Salem, Oregon.
• Ancestry.com. U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2019. The Baltimore Sun; Publication Date: 17 Jan 1945; Publication Place: Baltimore, Maryland, USA; https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99922776/obituary-for-thomas-riggs-aged-71/.
• Ancestry.com. New York, New York, U.S., Marriage License Indexes, 1907-2018 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2017. New York City Municipal Archives; New York, New York; Borough: Manhattan; Volume Number: 6.