Thomas Kearns

Thomas Kearns (* April 11, 1862 in Woodstock, Ontario, † October 18, 1918 in Salt Lake City ) was an American politician of Canadian origin, the state of Utah in the U.S. Senate as a Republican represented.

Born in Canada Kearns was still a child when his parents moved to Holt County, Nebraska with him. There he attended the public schools, worked on a farm and was employed in the freight industry. Later he settled in Utah, where he first lived in Salt Lake City and later in Park City. He engaged there in mining and was director of several mines.

In Park City, he worked from 1895 as a member of the City Council for the first time politically. In the same year he was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of Utah. On January 23, 1901, he then moved as a representative of his state in the U.S. Senate. The seat, previously held Frank J. Cannon, had been vacant since 1899, after the state Legislature of Utah neither Cannon confirmed in office still had chosen a successor. In the by-election then Kearns prevailed. He remained until March 3, 1905 Congress and not stand for re- election.

As a result, Kearns put his attention back to the mining industry. Together with a partner, he was owner of the Silver King Coalition Mine in Park City as well as of several mines in Utah, Nevada, Colorado and California. In addition, he owned the newspaper The Salt Lake Tribune. He was also partner of the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad and worked with assisting, to ensure their success by the railway line between Salt Lake City and Southern California was completed.