Martin Samuel Vilas

author

Martin Samuel Vilas

1870–1953

A Vermont lawyer and Republican politician who also wrote on American history and public affairs, he moved easily between public service and print. His work ranged from literary study to sharp-eyed sketches of civic life on the West Coast.

1 Audiobook

Water and power for San Francisco from Hetch-Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park

by Martin Samuel Vilas

About the author

Born in Colchester, Vermont, on March 1, 1870, he studied at the University of Vermont, later attended Harvard, and earned a master's degree from Vermont in 1899. Before fully entering the law, he taught school and worked as a principal, then was admitted to the bar in 1902.

He practiced law in Burlington and became active in local Republican politics, serving as Burlington city attorney and as chairman of the city Republican committee. After a period living on the West Coast, he returned to Vermont in 1915 and soon entered the state senate, where he served from 1917 to 1921 and was president of the senate from 1919 to 1921.

Alongside his legal and political career, he published articles, short historical pieces, and several books and pamphlets. His known works include Charles Brockden Brown: A Study of Early American Fiction and a group of 1915 titles on politics and San Francisco civic life, including The Reorganization of the Republican Party, The Barbary Coast of San Francisco, and Municipal Railway of San Francisco. He died in Burlington on November 19, 1953.