LIVING HISTORY
JEAN ELLEN WILSON
This street sign on the lane south of the Quay house in St. Lucie Village is
the only mark of the senator’s influence on the course of local history.
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“suffered more than in all my public life over this vote ... I am
and will always be your friend, and sincerely pray that you
will triumph over all your enemies, as I believe you will.”
For the next session of Congress, Pennsylvania had only
one senator in Washington.
SUPPORTED ROOSEVELT
In 1900, there was no doubt the Republicans would nominate
President William McKinley for another term. The only
issue at the convention was who would be the vice presidential
candidate. Delegate Quay, against fierce opposition, used
his clout to force the nomination of Theodore Roosevelt as
McKinley’s running mate.
“Don’t any of you realize that there’s only one life between
that madman and the Presidency?” protested one of the president’s
advisers. When McKinley was assassinated in 1901,
the madman became president and that was how telegrams
from the White House arrived in tiny St. Lucie.
In January 1901, the Pennsylvania Legislature returned
Quay to the Senate and as the celebration of his swearing-in
continued, Quay slipped away to have a quiet dinner with
his old friend Vest.
By the end of the month, Quay was recuperating from an
attack of consumption at Kilcaire. He wrote Agnes: “I feel
better today than I have since I took the grippe but am still
very weak. I suppose the excitement kept me up until I came
here. My stomach is better I believe it was nearly ruined by
medicine and that whiskey & champagne made it worse
instead of better.”
The senator’s interest in the West and statehood for New
Mexico, Arizona and Oklahoma distracted his attention from
fishing. Oddly enough, there is both a county and a town in
New Mexico named Quay in the boss’s honor, but the only
place he is remembered in Florida is the lane in St. Lucie. In
Florida, Woodley, which was established in 1894, became
Quay in 1902 — then became Winter Beach in 1925.
On Feb. 16, 1904, Quay wrote to his son Richard: “In the
week ending yesterday noon I lost something like one pound
and a quarter. A week ago I weighed 144 ½, yesterday 143
full — a little over. There is no mistake for I was weighed on
the same scales at the same time of the day and with exactly
the same clothing. This cannot go on very long. Say nothing
about it. I thought you ought to know it.”
Matthew Stanley Quay died in Beaver on May 28, 1904. His
will was filed in St. Lucie County.
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