Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/201

 PALMER

PALTSITS

t^^^^%/24^.^^>-

Witherell, and a descendant of Walter Palmer, who emigrated from England with John Endicott in 1629, and became an original founder of Charles- town, Mass. He after- ward removed to Paw- catuck (afterward Stonington), Conn., where he died in 1661. Thomas Palmer was a native of Wind- ham count}'. Conn., and one of the pioneer American merchants of Detroit. Thomas Witherell Palmer ma- triculated at the Uni- versity of Michigan in the class of 1849, but was not grad- uated owing to the weakness of his eyes. He traveled in Europe, made a pedestrian tour in Spain, and a tour of South America and the southern part of the United States, 1848-50. He was engaged as the agent of a transportation companj^ and as a mer- chant in Appleton, Wis., 1850-52, and in the real estate business in Detroit, Mich., 1853-55. In 1855 he was married to Lizzie Pitts, daughter of Charles and Francis (Pitts) Merrill. Mr. Merrill was a lumber merchant and mill owner in Sagi- naw, Mich., and Mr. Palmer became a partner in the business. On the death of lier fatlier in 1872, Mrs. Palmer inherited his interest and became a partner with her husband. He was a member of the Michigan board of estimates from Detroit in 1873 ; president of the waterways convention at Sault Sainte Marie, in August, 1887 ; a Republican state senator in 1878 ; was defeated for nomina- tion for governor of Michigan in 1880 ; elected to the U.S. senate in 1883, and at the expiration of his term. March 3, 1889, was nominated and con- firmed as U.S. minister to Spain, which office he resigned in 1890. He was president of the World's Columbian commission, 1890-93 ; became a direc- tor in the American Exchange National bank, and was also interested in several other important enterprises. He was president of the Detroit Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. He received the honorary degree of A.B. from the University of Michigan in 1876, as of the class of 1849. He conducted a large stock farm near Detroit, and imported valuable horses and cattle. PALMER, Walter Launt, artist, was born in Albany, N.Y., Aug. 1, 1854; son of Erastus Dow Palmer (q. v. ). He was a pupil of Frederic E. Church, Hudson, N.Y., 1870-72, and studied with Carol us Duran in Paris in 1873 and 1876. After returning to the United States in 1877 he painted in New York until 1883, when he removed to

Albany. He was elected a member of the Society of American Artists in 1881; an associate of the National Academy of Design in 1887, and Academician in 1897 ; a member of the American Water-Color society, the Society of American Landscape Painters and the Pastel club. He re- ceived the second Hallgarten prize. National Academy of Design, 1887 ; medal, Woi-ld's Fair, Chicago, 1893 ; gold medal, Philadelphia, 1894 ; Evans prize. New York, 1895 ; first prize, Boston, 1895 ; second prize, Nashville Centennial, 1897 ; honorable mention, Paris, 1900 ; and gold medal, Pan-American exposition, 1901. Among liis works are: Dining Room at Appledale (1879); An Editor's Study (1880) ; Waving Grain (1881) ; Ue?i/ce (1882) ; The Oat Field (1884); The Inlet (1885); An Early S7101V (18S7); January (1887); The Vale of Taicasentha (1895) ; and The Senator's BirthjAaee (1900).

PALMER, William Adams, governor of Ver- mont and senator, was born in Hebron, Conn., Sept. 12, 1781; son of Joshua and Susanna Palmer, and a descendant of Walter Palmer, the immigrant, 1629. He attended the public schools with seven brothers and sisters, and being debarred from manual work on account of an accident to his hand, studied law in Hebron under Judge Peters, and in Chelsea, Vermont, under Daniel Buck. He was admitted to the bar about 1802, practising at St. Johns- bury until September, 1813, when he was married to Sarah, daughter of Capt. Peter and Sarah Blanchard, of Danville, to which place he removed. He was clerk of Caledonia county, judge of probate for eight years, and judge of the supreme court in 1816. He served as a representative from Danville in the state legislature for six terms ; was elected by the Democratic legislature to the senate in 1818 to fill out the unexpired terra of James Fisk, resigned, and was re-elected to a full senatorial term, serving from Nov. 16, 1818, to March 3, 1825. He was a repre- sentative from Danville in the state legislature, 1826-27 ; a delegate to the state constitutional convention of 1828 and 1835, and governor of Vermont, 1831-35, being elected bj' the Anti-mas- onic party four successive terms in closely con- tested elections. His last public service was as a member of the state senate in 1837. He con- ducted his farm at Danville until his death. He received the honorary degree A.M. from the University of Vermont in 1817. He died in Danville. Vt.. Dec. 3.1860.

PALTSITS, Victor Hugo, librarian, was born in New York city, July 12, 1867 ; son of William Thomas and Sidonia Ida (Loose) Paltsits, and