Buckham, Thomas Scott, 1835 or 1836-1928

Thomas Scott Buckham was born in Chelsea, Vermont on January 7, in either 1835 or 1836. He was one of ten children born to the Reverend James Buckham of Kelso, Scotland and his wife, Margaret Barmby, of Hull, Yorkshire County, England. A classical scholar at the University of Vermont, Buckham graduated in 1855 and spent the following year teaching Latin and Greek at Mexico Academy in Oswego County, New York, where he met his future wife, Anna Mallary.

In the summer of 1856, Buckham moved to Faribault, Minnesota, and began practicing law after being admitted to the bar in 1857. Buckham was appointed as part of the defense council for the Younger brothers in the Northfield bank robbery and murder trials in 1876. After the trials, Buckham served as a county attorney until he was appointed judge of the Fifth Judicial District in 1880.

In addition to his law practice, Buckham led a distinguished career that included several civic service positions. He served as the first superintendent of Rice County schools (1864-1866); the second mayor of Faribault (1873); a senator in the 16th (1874) and 17th (1875) state legislatures; as well as serving as a member on railroad and judiciary committees, where he is credited with writing the first railroad regulating legislation in Minnesota.

As an early participant in the Faribault intellectual community, Buckham, along with Rodney Mott and Charles Davison, founded a literary society in 1857. In 1879, Buckham became the first president of Faribault's public library and continued to serve in this capacity for the next thirty years. Buckham was also appointed to the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota in 1879, where he served for twelve years.

After Buckham's death on April 22, 1928, his wife, Anna, purchased property on the South Central Street in Faribault and donated $100,000 to the Faribault City Council for the construction of a memorial building named after Thomas S. Buckham to house the city's public library. Mrs. Buckham's nephew designed the building, which was dedicated on July 20, 1930.

Anna Adelia ( nee Mallary) Buckham was born in Oswego County, New York on October 8, 1838 to Lyman S. and Theresa ( nee French) Mallary. As a seventeen year old music scholar, Mallary accepted a post to teach music at her uncle's school, Mexico Academy in Oswego County, New York. Following a lengthy, long-distance courtship carried out through extensive correspondence, Anna Mallary and Thomas Scott Buckham were married in Brooklyn, New York on November 29, 1866.

After marriage, the couple boarded at various locations in Faribault until purchasing a house on South First Street. Anna frequently traveled back and forth between Faribault and Brooklyn, New York, in order to visit her family. Anna delivered a still born girl in the summer of 1869, which was followed by further medical complications resulting in the removal of an unspecified fibroid tumor. She never had any children.

Anna participated in Faribault's cultural community as a member of several clubs, including the Nature Study Club, the Ladies' Literary Association, and the Congressional Church. The Buckhams traveled to Europe in 1879 with Anna's mother, jointly and separately touring England, Paris, and Scotland.

Anna often traveled back and forth between Faribault and Brooklyn. Local newspaper obituaries regarding the death of her husband report that Anna had been living in Brooklyn to take care of her ailing sister for the 26 years preceding Thomas' death. After his death, Anna returned to Faribault where she lived until her death on February 27, 1935.

From the guide to the Thomas and Anna Mallary Buckham papers., 1843, 1852-1997 (bulk 1852-1935)., (Minnesota Historical Society)