G. W. Mordecai
American politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
George Washington Mordecai (April 18, 1844 – June 14, 1920) served in the California State Assembly for the 70th district from 1891 to 1893 and the 62nd district from 1893 to 1895[1] and during the American Civil War he served in the Army of the Confederate States of America.[2]
G. W. Mordecai | |
|---|---|
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 62nd district | |
| In office January 2, 1893 - January 7, 1895 | |
| Preceded by | Frank T. Murnan |
| Succeeded by | Nathan LaFayette Bachman |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 70th district | |
| In office January 5, 1891 - January 2, 1893 | |
| Preceded by | Egbert Harris Tucker |
| Succeeded by | Cyrus Mortimer Simpson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 18, 1844 Rosewood, Virginia, US |
| Died | June 14, 1920 (aged 76) |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Louise Hunter Dixon (m. 1876) |
| Children | 4 |
Early life and family
Mordecai was born at "Rosewood", his family's farm near Richmond, Virginia, the son of Augustus Mordecai and Rosina Young Mordecai.[3][4] He was named for his uncle, George Washington Mordecai (1801–1871).[5] His grandfather was educator Jacob Mordecai; his aunts included educators Emma Mordecai and Rachel Mordecai Lazarus, and another uncle, Alfred Mordecai, taught at West Point. One of his first cousins was anarchist Marx Edgeworth Lazarus.[6]
Career
Mordecai served in the Confederate Army from 1862 to 1865.[5] His uncle George, a lawyer and railroad president, helped Mordecai start a large sheep ranch in central California in 1868.[7][8] He was a member of the California Water & Forest Association.[9]
Mordecai served two terms in the California State Assembly, from 1891 to 1895.[5] One of his actions as a legislator was to create Madera County, by dividing Fresno County, in 1893.[10] He ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the California State Senate. Later in life, he was a member of the Democratic National Committee in 1912,[11] and was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1916 and 1920.[12]
Personal life and legacy
Mordecai married Mississippi-born Louise Hunter Dixon in 1876; they had four children (George W. Jr.,[13] Louise, Brooke, and Ethelfleda).[14] He died in Madera County, California, in 1920, at the age of 76.[11] As of 2020, his ranch is still an active business in Madera County,[12] and he is remembered as a local pioneer.[15]