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As Colten left the office of mayor, the city council presented him with a plaque, "Minden's Best Damn Yankee Republican Mayor."<ref>''Minden Press-Herald,'' January 2, 1975, p. 1.</ref> Colten was not the first Republican mayor in Louisiana. That designation went to [[Jack Breaux]], who was elected mayor of Zachary in East Baton Rouge Parish in the spring of 1966.<ref>''The Baton Rouge Advocate]],'' January 27, 1980.</ref>​

As Colten left the office of mayor, the city council presented him with a plaque, "Minden's Best Damn Yankee Republican Mayor."<ref>''Minden Press-Herald,'' January 2, 1975, p. 1.</ref> Colten was not the first Republican mayor in Louisiana. That designation went to [[Jack Breaux]], who was elected mayor of Zachary in East Baton Rouge Parish in the spring of 1966.<ref>''The Baton Rouge Advocate]],'' January 27, 1980.</ref>​

 

Though his Minden newspapers had endorsed Charlton Lyons for governor in 1964,<ref>''Minden Press,'' January 11, 1964.</ref> He did little to encourage other Republicans to run for office and once opposed a Republican candidate for sheriff by convincing the Webster Parish Republican Executive Committee to set the filing fee so high that it would discourage the candidate from running — it did not, however, in that case. Colten hence favored offering only serious candidates, not obscure placeholders to fill a ballot.​

Though his Minden newspapers had endorsed Charlton Lyons for governor in 1964,<ref>''Minden Press,'' January 11, 1964.</ref> He did little to encourage other Republicans to run for office and once opposed a Republican candidate for sheriff by convincing the Webster Parish Republican Executive Committee to set the filing fee so high that it would discourage the candidate from running — it did not, however, in that case. Colten hence favored offering only serious candidates, not obscure placeholders to fill a ballot.​

Colten also sometimes got involved in Democratic primary fights — particularly the "battle of the Montgomerys" for one of the thirty-nine seats in the Louisiana State Senate in 1967 and 1971. He favored (though he could not vote in the primary at the time) [[Jack Montgomery|John W. "Jack" Montgomery]], a Springhill native and Minden lawyer who was challenging two-term State Senator [[Harold Montgomery]] of Doyline in Webster Parish. Jack Montgomery won in 1967, but Harold Montgomery returned to victory in 1971. The Montgomerys were not related, had different political philosophies but maintained cordiality toward each other.​

Colten also sometimes got involved in Democratic primary fights — particularly the "battle of the Montgomerys" for one of the thirty-nine seats in the Louisiana State Senate in 1967 and 1971. He favored (though he could not vote in the primary at the time) [[Jack Montgomery|John W. "Jack" Montgomery]], a Springhill native and Minden lawyer who was challenging two-term State Senator [[Harold Montgomery]] of Doyline in Webster Parish. Jack Montgomery won in 1967, but Harold Montgomery returned to victory in 1971. The Montgomerys were not related, had different political philosophies but maintained cordiality toward each other.​

 

Harold Montgomery told a reporter in 1975 that he could not understand why Colten, a Republican, had undercut him, when Harold Montgomery, unlike Jack Montgomery, had frequently supported Republican candidates, including Charlton Lyons, who opposed [[John J. McKeithen]] in the 1964 gubernatorial election and then Senator Goldwater for the presidency later that same year. Harold Montgomery was one of the state senators who had sometimes quarreled with McKeithen. McKeithen supported Jack Montgomery.​

Harold Montgomery told a reporter in 1975 that he could not understand why Colten, a Republican, had undercut him, when Harold Montgomery, unlike Jack Montgomery, had frequently supported Republican candidates, including Charlton Lyons, who opposed [[John J. McKeithen]] in the 1964 gubernatorial election and then Senator Goldwater for the presidency later that same year. Harold Montgomery was one of the state senators who had sometimes quarreled with McKeithen. McKeithen supported Jack Montgomery.​

Colten was a member of the Frankfort Rotary International, the Blue Grass Area Development District, and the Frankfort and the Kentucky chambers of commerce.<ref name="Minden Press-Herald 2004, p. 1">"Colten left lasting mark on Minden: Former mayor, Press-Herald owner will be laid to rest Friday," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' December 8, 2004, p. 1.</ref>​

Colten was a member of the Frankfort Rotary International, the Blue Grass Area Development District, and the Frankfort and the Kentucky chambers of commerce.<ref name="Minden Press-Herald 2004, p. 1">"Colten left lasting mark on Minden: Former mayor, Press-Herald owner will be laid to rest Friday," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' December 8, 2004, p. 1.</ref>​

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Colten died in Frankfort and is interred there with his wife. Though reared in a Jewish household in Michigan, he became a  member of the Minden [[Presbyterian]], Broadmoor Presbyterian in Baton Rouge, and the South Frankfort Presbyterian Church in Kentucky. In addition to his wife and son Lee, Colten was survived by a daughter, Connie Colten Cross (born 1951) of [[Austin]], [[Texas]]; another son, Craig Edward Colten (born 1952), is  a [[geography]] professor at [[Louisiana State University]] in Baton Rouge. His sister Mary Glodt, was the wife of a [[physician]] in Pittsfield, [[Massachusetts]], befor she resided in her later years in [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], Texas. Another survivor is Colten's younger brother Richard of Upper Saddle Ridge, [[New Jersey]].<ref>NLH, pp. 78-79. ​

Colten died in Frankfort and is interred there with his wife. Though reared in a Jewish household in Michigan, he became a  member of the Minden [[Presbyterian]], Broadmoor Presbyterian in Baton Rouge, and the South Frankfort Presbyterian Church in Kentucky. In addition to his wife and son Lee, Colten was survived by a daughter, Connie Colten Cross (born 1951) of [[Austin]], [[Texas]]; another son, Craig Edward Colten (born 1952), is  a [[geography]] professor at [[Louisiana State University]] in Baton Rouge. His sister Mary Glodt, was the wife of a [[physician]] in Pittsfield, [[Massachusetts]], befor she resided in her later years in [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], Texas. Another survivor is Colten's younger brother Richard of Upper Saddle Ridge, [[New Jersey]].<ref>NLH, pp. 78-79.</ref>

 

Colten was not the only Minden mayor with newspaper experience. [[David William Thomas]], who served from 1936 to 1940,<ref>John Agan, Webster Parish historian, "Echoes of Our Past: Mayor David Thomas," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' May 22, 2008.</ref> and W. Jasper Blackburn, who filled a one-year term from 1855 to 1856, had extensive experience in journalism as well. [[J. Frank Colbert]], mayor from 1944 to 1946, was a former editor of the ''Minden Democrat'' and the ''Signal-Tribune,'' forerunners to the ''Minden Press-Herald.'' Former Mayor [[Connell Fort]] was also a newspaperman during a part of his career.​

Colten was not the only Minden mayor with newspaper experience. [[David William Thomas]], who served from 1936 to 1940,<ref>John Agan, Webster Parish historian, "Echoes of Our Past: Mayor David Thomas," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' May 22, 2008.</ref> and W. Jasper Blackburn, who filled a one-year term from 1855 to 1856, had extensive experience in journalism as well. [[J. Frank Colbert]], mayor from 1944 to 1946, was a former editor of the ''Minden Democrat'' and the ''Signal-Tribune,'' forerunners to the ''Minden Press-Herald.'' Former Mayor [[Connell Fort]] was also a newspaperman during a part of his career.​

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==References==​

==References==​

{{DEFAULTSORT:Colten, Tom}}​

{{DEFAULTSORT:Colten, Tom}}​

[[Category:Louisiana People]]​

[[Category:Louisiana People]]​