Thomas C. Power

Thomas Charles Power (May 22, 1839 – February 16, 1923) was a Republican senator from Montana and an American businessman.

Early life, education, and career

Born near Dubuque, Iowa, on May 22, 1839, Power attended public school and graduated from Sinsinawa College with a degree in engineering. He then worked as a surveyor in Dakota until 1860, when he entered the employ of an engineering company. There, he participated in government land surveys covering much of Iowa and what was then the Dakota Territory. Between 1861 and 1867, he was primarily engaged in trade along the Mississippi River, eventually becoming president of a steamer line. In 1889, Power ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Montana, winning the nomination of the Republican Party on the first ballot, but losing the general election to Democratic candidate Joseph Toole, the only Democrat on the state ticket that year to be elected. A conflict erupted over the respective roles of the governor and the state legislature in appointing the first two members of the United States Senate for the state, but on January 2, 1890, the Republican-controlled legislature elected Power to the second seat, which he then held until March 3, 1895.

Power died at his home in Helena on February 16, 1923, and was interred in Resurrection Cemetery. The town of Power in Montana is named after him.