{{Short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Alvin Plumb | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = September 6, 1802 | birth_place = Paris, New York | death_date = {{death date and age|1877|5|13|1802|9|6}} | death_place = | death_cause = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | office1 = New York State Assembly | term_start1 = January 1, 1833 | term_end1 = December 31, 1833 | predecessor1 = Theron Bly<br/>Squire White | successor1 = James Hall<br/>Thomas Osborne | office2 = New York State Assembly | term_start2 = January 1, 1837 | term_end2 = December 31, 1837 | predecessor2 = Thomas B. Campbell<br/>Richard P. Marvin | successor2 = Thomas I. Allen<br/>George A. French<br/>Abner Lewis | citizenship = | other_names = | known_for = | education = | occupation = Politician | party = Anti-Jacksonian | spouse = | children = | parents = | relations = | signature = | footnotes = }} '''Alvin Plumb''' (September 6, 1802 – May 13, 1877) was an American businessman and politician. He served two terms in the New York State Assembly (1833, 1836), representing Chautauqua County, New York.<ref name="Young">{{cite web|title=History of Chautauqua County, New York From Its First Settlement to the Present Time; with Numerous Biographical and Family Sketches|author1=Young, Andrew White |date=1875 |publisher=Matthews & Warren |quote=|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4xItpINmJmgC}}</ref> He built the first steamship to navigate Chautauqua Lake.<ref name="Centennial">{{cite book |author=The Chautauqua History Company|author-link= |date=1904 |title=The Centennial History of Chautauqua County |location= |publisher=Arcadia Publishing Incorporated|page= |isbn= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z5XJmFkTe3YC}}</ref>
==Biography==
===Early life and career=== Plumb was born on September 6, 1802, in Paris, New York. He went with his brothers, Joseph, and Ralph, to Fredonia, Chautauqua County in 1816. Starting in 1820, he served as a clerk in stores in Rochester and Geneva, attending school at the academy in Geneva. He then conducted business as a merchant in Jamestown and was a manufacturer of pearl ashes starting in 1824 and then in Mayville beginning in 1825. He sold his store in Jamestown in 1831 to Charles R. Harvey. He was also involved in the milling business in the area.<ref name="Young"/>
Plumb was among those who proposed a steamship be built to run on Chautauqua Lake. He formed a company, Chautauqua Steamboat Company, in 1827 and the first steamboat, named ''Chautauqua'' was launched in 1828, making its first trip to Mayville on July 4, 1828.<ref name="Young"/><ref name="CLR">{{cite book |author=Crocker, Katherine and Jane Currie|author-link= |date=2002 |title=Chautauqua Lake Region |location= |publisher=Arcadia Publishing Incorporated|page= |isbn= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HAolu4L1xZMC}}</ref><ref name="Centennial"/>
In 1831, he was among those who helped established the first bank in Jamestown, the Chautauqua County Bank.<ref name="Young"/>
He married Mary Ann Davis in 1832 and they had three children, including Elizabeth, Arthur, and Samuel.<ref name="Young"/> He died on May 13, 1877 at the age of 74.
===Politics=== Plumb was associated with the Anti-Masonic Party and served as secretary of their convention in 1827.<ref name="Centennial"/>
He served in the 56th New York State Legislature in 1833 alongside Nathaniel Gray, representing Chautauqua County. He served again in the 60th New York State Legislature in 1837. In 1838, he was among the Chautauqua County delegates to the Whig State Convention. <ref>{{cite news|title=Whig State Convention|newspaper=The Journal|location=Jamestown, New York|date=September 19, 1838}}</ref>
Plumb was appointed Postmaster for Jamestown on June 8, 1841, in which he had to resign when he was elected County Clerk, serving until December 5, 1843. He served 3 terms as clerk.<ref name="Young"/> He served as Town Supervisor for Westfield in 1848 and 1852.
===Later life=== After his service as clerk, Plumb lived in Westfield. Plumb was a supporter of the temperance movement and an abolitionist.<ref name="Young"/> On August 4, 1871, the steamboat ''Chautauqua'' was to land at Mayville when the boiler exploded and killed 8 people. Plumb was severely injured.<ref name="Young"/>
Plumb died on May 13, 1877 at the age of 74.
==Electoral history== {{Election box begin no change |title=1832 New York State Assembly election<ref name="Centennial"/>}} {{Election box winning candidate no change |party = Anti-Masonic |candidate = Alvin Plumb |votes = |percentage = }} {{Election box winning candidate no change |party = Anti-Masonic |candidate = Nathaniel Gray |votes = |percentage = }} {{Election box inline candidate no change |party = Democratic |candidate = Albert Camp |votes = |percentage = }} {{Election box inline candidate no change |party = Democratic |candidate = Robert Woodside |votes = |percentage = }} {{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change |title=1836 New York State Assembly election<ref name="Centennial"/>}} {{Election box winning candidate no change |party = Anti-Masonic |candidate = Alvin Plumb |votes = |percentage = }} {{Election box winning candidate no change |party = Anti-Masonic |candidate = Calvin Rumsey |votes = |percentage = }} {{Election box winning candidate no change |party = Anti-Masonic |candidate = William Wilcox |votes = |percentage = }} {{Election box inline candidate no change |party = Democratic |candidate = Thomas B. Campbell |votes = |percentage = }} {{Election box inline candidate no change |party = Democratic |candidate = James Hall |votes = |percentage = }} {{Election box inline candidate no change |party = Democratic |candidate = Daniel Parsons |votes = |percentage = }} {{Election box end}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Plumb, Alvin}} Category:1802 births Category:1877 deaths Category:New York (state) postmasters Category:Members of the New York State Assembly Category:19th-century members of the New York State Legislature