Lewis F. Byington
District Attorney of San Francisco
In office
1900–1905
Preceded byDaniel J. Murphy
Succeeded byWilliam H. Langdon
San Francisco Supervisor
In office
1898–1900
Personal details
Born(1868-05-24)May 24, 1868
DiedMay 7, 1943(1943-05-07) (aged 74)
San Francisco, California
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic
ProfessionLawyer

Lewis Francis Byington (May 24, 1868 – May 7, 1943) was an American lawyer, author, and Democratic politician who served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (1898–1900) and as District Attorney of San Francisco (1900–1905).[1][2]

Early life and education

Byington was born on May 24, 1868, in Downieville, California. He was a son of Lewis Byington and Catherine Freehill Byington.[2][3]

Byington went to public school in Downieville. He graduated from Santa Clara College, now the University of Santa Clara, and in 1887 graduated from the University of California Hastings College of the Law. He subsequently practiced law in San Francisco.[1]

Career

Lewis Byington was a member of the California bar. His practice was in the Supreme Court and Federal Courts of California.[4][5]

Lewis F. Byington caricatures
1906
1910

In 1898 he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

Botkin and Byington

In 1899 he was elected San Francisco District Attorney, serving from 1900–1905.[6] As District Attorney, he prosecuted the murderer Cordelia Botkin.[7] He was elected a further two times.[8]

Byington was president of the San Francisco civil service commission under Mayor James Rolph.[9]

In 1935, Byington became president of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, which provides water and electric power services to the city. He held this position until his death in 1943. As president, Byington oversaw the completion of the aqueduct and tunnels of the Hetch Hetchy system that brought water to San Francisco.[10]

Private life and affiliations

Byington was unmarried. In retirement, he made his home in San Francisco.[2]

He was vice president of the California Historic Landmarks League and served as president of the Native Sons of the Golden West. On September 15, 1912, Byington acted as chairman of the ceremonies, during the dedication of the new NSGW, speaking to the audience about the history of the building and the difficulties in its completion.[11]

He was also a member of the University of California Club, the National Geographic Society, the San Francisco Lodge, and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He was a principal speaker for the celebration of California's admission to the Union.[1]

Death

On May 7, 1943, Byington died of pneumonia at Stanford Hospital, San Francisco. He was 75 years old. Funeral services were held at St. Mary's Cathedral. He was buried at the Holy Cross Mausoleum.[2]

Publications

Byington wrote the following books:

  • Byington, Lewis Francis (1931). The History of San Francisco. S. J. Clarke. OCLC 9592779. OL 6768917M.
  • Byington, Lewis Francis. Downieville and its Historic Past. OCLC 83751114.
  • Byington, Lewis Francis. Sierra County and its Historic Past. OCLC 54234050.

See also

San Francisco District Attorneys

References

  1. 1 2 3 San Francisco and its Municipal Administration 1902, Hon. Lewis F. Byington, page 46
  2. 1 2 3 4 "L. F. Byington Dies in S.F." Oakland Tribune. Oakland, California. 1943-05-07. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  3. ↑ Byington, Lewis, The National Cyclopædia of American Biography, 1941
  4. ↑ San Francisco: its builders, past and present, pictorial, p. 249
  5. ↑ "Encyclopedia of American biography. New series". American Historical Society. New York. 1895. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
  6. ↑ Municipal Reports for the Fiscal Year 1898-99 By San Francisco (Calif.) Board of Supervisors
  7. ↑ "TWO LEADING FIGURES IN THE RECENT BOTKIN MURDER TRIAL]". the Tacoma Times. 1904-04-30. Retrieved 2015-08-16 – via Chronicling America.
  8. ↑ "Lewis F. Byington". San Francisco Chronicle. 12 Jan 1916, Wed • Page 40. 12 January 1916. p. 40. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  9. ↑ Reno Evening Gazette, Sept. 14, 1931, p. 15.
  10. ↑ Report of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. San Francisco, Calif. : The Commission. 1933
  11. ↑ "Native Sons Dedicate New Building". The San Francisco Call. San Francisco, California. 16 Sep 1912. p. 3. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lewis Francis Byington.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.