Thomas G. Alvord

Thomas Gold Alvord (December 20, 1810 – October 26, 1897) was an American lawyer, merchant and politician. Throughout his political career he was known as Old Salt.

Life

He was born on December 20, 1810 in Onondaga, New York, to Elisha Alvord and Helen Lansing. His grandfather Thomas Gold Alvord was a soldier in the French and Indian War and served in the American Revolutionary War.

In 1813, the family moved to Lansingburgh, New York. He graduated from Yale College in 1828. Then he studied law with Thomas A. Tomlinson and George A. Simmons at Keeseville, New York, was admitted to the bar in 1832, and commenced practice at Salina, New York. In 1846, he became a lumber merchant.

He began his political career as a Democrat, joined the Free Soil Party in 1848, and was elected to the Assembly term of 1858 as a Democrat. In 1861, he became a War Democrat, chaired the Union Convention at Syracuse, was nominated to run for the Assembly, and was endorsed by the Republicans and elected without opposition. For the terms from 1864 to 1872, he was elected as a Republican. For the term of 1874, he was elected as an Independent, defeating the Republican incumbent.