John Arnot Jr. (March 11, 1831 – November 20, 1886) was an American Civil War veteran, politician and a U.S. Representative from New York from 1883 until his death in 1886.
Early life
John Arnot Jr. was born in Elmira, New York on March 11, 1831, a son of John Arnot and Harriet (Tuttle) Arnot.[1] He was raised and educated at private schools in Elmira, and attended Yale College, but left before graduating to begin a banking career in New York City.[1] In 1852, he returned to Elmira to succeed his father as cashier of the Chemung Canal Bank following his father's promotion to bank president.[1]
Career
Arnot was affiliated with the Chemung National Bank for the rest of his life.[1] In addition, his other ventures included ownership of the T. Briggs and Company brewery, a major investor in the Elmira Gas Company, and treasurer of the Clearfield Bituminous Coal Company.[2] Arnot was also a successful real estate investor, and had holdings throughout Elmira.[2] Active in politics as a Democrat, he served on the Elmira board of education, and was president of the village of Elmira from 1859 to 1864.[1] In 1858, he married Ann Elizabeth Hulett, with whom he was the father of three children.[1]
When Elmira was chartered as a city in 1864, Arnot was elected its first mayor, and he was elected again in 1870 and 1874.[1] In 1882, he initially declined the Democratic nomination for a seat in the United States House of Representatives, but he subsequently agreed to run.[3] Arnot was elected to the 48th Congress from New York's 29th district, and to the 49th Congress from the New York's 28th district.[3] He served from March 4, 1883, until his death.[3]
Death and legacy
In October 1884, gasses that had built up in the vault of the Chemung Canal Bank exploded when Arnot opened the vault.[1] He was severely injured, but was later able to return to work.[2] His health declined after the explosion, and he died in Elmira on November 20, 1886.[1] He was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Elmira.[3]
Arnot was a communicant of Elmira's Trinity Church.[4] A memorial chapel on the church campus was built to honor Arnot and his family, and was financed by Arnot's sister, Mariana Tuttle Arnot Ogden, and her husband William Butler Ogden.[4]
