The Detroit times., 1913-06-02
MAYOR WANTS MEMORIAL
FOR THOMAS W. PALMER


4 N&Oossss~S $780, -
struck by an interurban car. laid the
foundations OF his illness. Though he
recovered sufficiently to regain. III
some measure, his activity. the shoch
was a severe one TO q man OF Ms
years. During the winter and spring
Of this year MIR. Palmer failed per
ceptibly Saturday night IL becams
apparent that death WAS near. He
slept feverishly. Toward morning ne
awoke and tried TO whisper a message
10 his son, who was at his bedside
, but the words were inarticulate. He
then became unconscious. and remain
ed SO until he died. lie was SO years
old
Al Senator Palmer's bedside were
his adopted son, Harold Palmer, who
had returned from Cornell. where he
| is studying law: Mrs. Grace Palmer
Rice his daughter; Miss Minnie K
Lacey. a cousin G.. A. Bennett, his
secretary. and Dr. A. w. Ives. Mrs
Palmer. the widow. is in larchmont
| y. Y. and may not be able 10 come
10 Detroit for the funeral.
Services will be held in the First
| Unitarian church. Woodward-ave. and
Edmund-pl.. or whose board OF trus'
| tees Mr.. Palmer had been member for
several years. Wednesday afternoon
at 2 O'Clock. Detailed arrangements
tor the funeral will be announced
Monday. after a conference Of rela-
lives. The body will be placed In the
| Palmer mausoleum in ElmwoOd GENE.
| terry.
Senator Palmer's closest relatives
are Harold Palmer. son Of Capt. Pedro
| Toblacion of the Spanish army, whom
the senator encountered In Spain
| while ambassador in Madrid. in 1889
80. and who consented To the adoption
Of his two-year-old boy: Mrs. Julia
| Lacey. cousin. Miss Minnie r. Lacey
second cousin; the Ave daughters OF
| George Palmer, of st. Clair, cousins:
the daughters Of Titus Palmer
cousins; John Rumney. cousin: Mrs
Walter Russell. cousin, and Thomas
Palmer Hinchman, OF Chicago
cousin.
| News OF Senator Palmer's death
was telephoned TO Or. Eugene Rod
man Shipper. pastor Of the First Uni
tartan church. just before the morn
ing service. and the announcement
from the pulpit saddened the congre
CATION The senator had been unable
to attend the last meeting Of the board
Of trustees. the first that he has ever
missed, and the trustees had sent him
letter expressing hope for his recov-
cry.
The big flag in front OF the Palmer
residence hung at half-mast, Sunday.
telling the thousands who visited
Palmer Park that the donor OF the
land had passed away. The casino at
the park was closed. and will remain
so until after the funeral.
Was Born In Detroit.
Thomas Witherell Palmer was born
Jan. 20, 1890. in Detroit. He was
one Of nine children born to Thomas
and Mary A. Witherell Palmer He
came Of an old Puritan family, one
OF whom William Palmer, came to
America in the ship Fortune In 1921,
landing at Duxbury, Mass, and Of
whom another. Walter Palmer, from
whom Senator Palmer descended in
the direct line, came over in 1929
with John Endicott and helped to
found Charlestown, Mass. now part
of Boston.
1t Is said that from Walter Palmer 8
IL children there are now over $4,000
descendants. Gen. Grant was includ-
ed In the number.
Thomas Palmer and his brother.
Friend Palmer, came to Amherstburg
in 1912, we're taken prisoners az
American citizens when the war with
England broke out were released,
and were In Detroit when Hull sur
rendered. In 1916 they settled In De-
troit for good.
Part OF the future senator's boy
hood was spent In the town Of Palm
er. now st. Clair. where he went to q
school established by the Rev. o. C..
Thompson.
MIR. Palmer attended the Univer-
sity OF Michigan, but through sick
ness was forced to leave In his sopho-
more year. He went to Europe.
where he made walking tour OF
Spain. Having seen enough OF toe
world to satisfy him, he became clerk
OF q transportation company which
operated between Green Bay and
Strong's Landing. Wis. Eighteen
months later he engaged In mercan-
tile business In APPLETON, Els. After
one year there, he returned In 1883
TO Detroit. where he became buy
er and seller of pine lands. Soon he
became a partner Of Charles Merrill,
dealing in lands and lumber. Later.
j. A. Whittier was taken in. and the
company began the manufacture OF
lumber I'm East Saginaw. In 1856
Mr. Palmer married Miss Lizzie Pitts
Merrill.
Begins Political Career.
Mr.. Palmers political career began
In 1873. when the first board OF esti-
mates OF Detroit sat Mr.. Palmer
was elected one Of the members at
large. In 1875. he was candidate
for nomination for congress and was
defeated. In 1873, he was elected TO
the state senate.
nj Lansing. he was chairman OF
the caucus that chose Zach Chandler
as nominee of the Republican party
for the senate. He introduced the
bill which was passed to establish
the Industrial Home for Girls, in
Adrian. He was author of the bill
to establis ha boulevard around the
city OF Detroit. Though many thought
1t shameful to build such roadway
so far from the heart OF the city, the
bill passed, and Grandblvd., which IN
now considered almost downtown,
was laid out as a result.
In 1850, Mr. Palmer was a candi-