Tom Yarborough
Tom Yarborough (July 23, 1895 – March 19, 1969) was the first African-American mayor of Lake Elsinore, California and one of first African-American mayors in California.
Biography[edit]
Thomas R. Yarborough was born in Arkansas on July 23, 1895 and grew up in Greenville, Mississippi. He attended Straight University from 1910-1912.[1]
He made his way to California as a handyman for the evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson. He eventually settled in the small town of Lake Elsinore in Riverside County, California.
Yarborough opened an upholstery shop in the downtown area and invested in real estate. In 1948, he successfully ran for a seat on the City Council.[2] He was defeated in 1956, but three years later was appointed to fill a vacancy.[1]
In 1966, Yarborough was elected the town's mayor.[2][1] He retired in 1968.[3]
He died in an automobile accident on Highway 71 in Riverside County on March 19, 1969.[4] He was survived by his widow Katherine and eight children.
A parcel of land in the downtown area that Yarborough donated to Lake Elsinore was converted into a small park and named after him.[1]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Jefferson, Alison Rose (2022), Living the California Dream: African American Leisure Sites During the Jim Crow Era, University of Nebraska Press, p. 129, ISBN 9781496229069
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "City of Lake Elsinore : City Timeline". www.lake-elsinore.org.
- ↑ San Bernardino Sun, Volume 74, 1 April 1968 Negro Mayor Retires to Finish Book
- ↑ San Bernardino Sun, Volume 75, 22 March 1969 Former Mayor of Elsinore Dies in Crash
| Preceded by Unknown |
Mayor of Lake Elsinore, California 1966—1969 |
Succeeded by Unknown |
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