Palmer Canfield papers

Collection

Identifier: 8771

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Content Description

The Palmer Canfield papers primarily document Canfield's final Prohibition post (from 1929) as "Dry Chief" for the "wet" leaning Albany District and material from his political and legal career, including his mayoral campaigns in Kingston (1913-1921), New York, dating from 1913 to 1931. The collection contains a typescript report and letters, newspaper clippings, correspondence, memorandums, invitations, mayoral candidate promotional material, business, and seasonal cards, a booklet, and a scrapbook album of newspaper clippings.

Dates

1913 - 1931

Creator

Canfield, Palmer (Person)

Biographical / Historical

Palmer Canfield was a New York politician and advocate of Prohibition, first as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (1921) in the Southern District of New York and Legal Advisor at the Prohibition Department (1922) and later as Federal Prohibition Director for the State of New York (1923). Canfield had been an actively practicing attorney since 1904. He was also elected Mayor of Kingston, NY, from 1913 to 1921 on the “Honesty, Economy, Efficiency” platform. One of his main activities during his tenure as Mayor and before the National Prohibition, was the reduction of Kingston’s salons to one-third of their original number (from 125 to 50). He was also one of the organizers of the Mayors Bureau of State, a Grand Chancellor of Knights of Pythia (1920-1921), and a member of the State and National Councils, Y.M.C.A., the executive committee N.Y. State Methodist Laymen’s Association, the New York State Waterways Association, and more. He was married, and he had five children.

Extent

.3 cubic feet.

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Typescript report, letters, newspaper clippings, correspondence, memorandums, invitations, mayoral candidate promotional material, business, and seasonal cards, a booklet, and a scrapbook album of newspaper clippings of the New York politician and advocate of Prohibition, Palmer Canfield, document primarily Canfield's final Prohibition post (from 1929) as Federal Prohibition Director for Albany District, as well as his mayoral candidate campaign (1913-1921).