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'''Charles Milton Cunningham''' (April 2, 1877 &ndash; May 17, 1936) was an [[attorney]] and [[newspaper]] [[publisher]] from [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches]] in northwestern [[Louisiana]], who served as a [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] state senator from 1915 to 1922.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://senate.la.gov/Documents/Membership/1880membership.pdf|title=Membership in the Louisiana Senate, 1880-Present|publisher=senate.la.gov|accessdate=October 2, 2014}}</ref>   

'''Charles Milton Cunningham''' (April 2, 1877 &ndash; May 17, 1936) was an [[attorney]] and [[newspaper]] [[publisher]] from [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches]] in northwestern [[Louisiana]], who served as a [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] state senator from 1915 to 1922.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://senate.la.gov/Documents/Membership/1880membership.pdf|title=Membership in the Louisiana Senate, 1880-Present|publisher=senate.la.gov|accessdate=October 2, 2014}}</ref>   

   

   

His second son, W. Peyton Cunningham, also a Natchitoches lawyer, served from 1932 to 1940 in the Louisiana House of Representatives, alongside [[Leon Friedman]] of the Natchez community in south Natchitoches Parish.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://house.louisiana.gov/H_PDFdocs/HouseMembership_History_CURRENT.pdf|title=Membership in the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1812-2024: Natchitoches  Parish|publisher=Louisiana House of Representatives|accessdate=November 22, 2020}}</ref>

His second son, W. Peyton Cunningham, also a Natchitoches lawyer, served from 1932 to 1940 in the Louisiana House of Representatives, alongside Leon Friedman of the Natchez community in south Natchitoches Parish.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://house.louisiana.gov/H_PDFdocs/HouseMembership_History_CURRENT.pdf|title=Membership in the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1812-2024: Natchitoches  Parish|publisher=Louisiana House of Representatives|accessdate=November 22, 2020}}</ref>

    

    

==Biography==

==Biography==

Born in [[New Orleans]] to a prominent family, Cunningham was the son of [[Milton Joseph Cunningham]] and Cunningham's second wife, the former Anne Peyton (1852-1878). His mother died of tetanus when he was ten months old and is interred in New Orleans. He was thereafter reared in Natchitoches, where he graduated from what is now [[Northwestern State University]]. He became a highly regarded [[educator]] but left the field to study law. Admitted to the bar, he ran for a district judgeship at the age of twenty-nine but was narrowly defeated. He then served on the Natchitoches Parish Police Jury, the parish governing body now known as the Natchitoches Parish Commission. In 1903, he founded ''The Natchitoches Times'', which he edited until 1930.<ref name=ftmaker>{{cite web|url=http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/m/e/t/Mildred-Methvin/index.html|title=Charles Milton Cunningham|publisher=familytreemaker.genealogy.com|accessdate=October 1, 2014}}</ref>

Born in [[New Orleans]] to a prominent family, Cunningham was the son of [[Milton Joseph Cunningham]] and Cunningham's second wife, the former Anne Peyton (1852-1878). His mother died of tetanus when he was ten months old and is interred in New Orleans. He was thereafter reared in Natchitoches, where he graduated from what is now [[Northwestern State University]]. He became a highly regarded [[educator]] but left the field to study law. Admitted to the bar, he ran for a district judgeship at the age of twenty-nine but was narrowly defeated. He then served on the Natchitoches Parish Police Jury, the parish governing body now known as the Natchitoches Parish Commission. In 1903, he founded ''The Natchitoches Times'', which he edited until 1930.<ref name=obit>Milton Joseph Cunningham obituary, ''The New Orleans Times Picayune,'' October 20, 1916.</ref>

Cunningham's father, Milton Joseph Cunningham, was a political figure in Natchitoches, DeSoto Parish,  and New Orleans, where he spent his later years. After service in both houses of the state legislature, he became the state attorney general, a position which he filled from 1884 to 1888 and again from 1892 to 1900.

Cunningham's father, Milton Joseph Cunningham, was a political figure in Natchitoches, DeSoto Parish,  and New Orleans, where he spent his later years. After service in both houses of the state legislature, he became the state attorney general, a position which he filled from 1884 to 1888 and again from 1892 to 1900.<ref name=obit/>

In 1898, Cunningham married Alicia Evelena Payne, a daughter of William Edward Payne (1830-1884) and the former Marie Eliza Blanchard (1846-1915). Alicia's brother, [[John William Payne]], was the [[sheriff]] of Natchitoches Parish from 1914 until his death in 1933. Her nephew, William "Bill" Payne, followed his father as sheriff.<ref name=aepc/>Mrs. Cunningham, known in her later years as "Miss Lena," continued to publish the paper after her husband's death. She too was a graduate of Northwestern State University and the 1893 class valedictorian. She taught school for a time in Tallulah in Madison Parish in northeastern Louisiana and in Lecompte in south Rapides Parish]. During [[World War II]], she was cited for the work of ''The Natchitoches Times'' in promoting drives for scrap iron and [[aluminum]]. [[U.S. President]] [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] recognized her work in promoting the sale of war bonds.<ref name=aepc>{{cite web|url=http://www.genealogy.com/users/m/e/t/Mildred-Methvin/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0100.html|title=Alicia Evelena Payne Cunningham|publisher=genealogy.com|accessdate=October 2, 2014}}</ref>

In 1898, Cunningham married Alicia Evelena Payne, a daughter of William Edward Payne (1830-1884) and the former Marie Eliza Blanchard (1846-1915). Alicia's brother, [[John William Payne]], was the [[sheriff]] of Natchitoches Parish from 1914 until his death in 1933. Her nephew, William "Bill" Payne, followed his father as sheriff.<ref name=aepc/>Mrs. Cunningham, known in her later years as "Miss Lena," continued to publish the paper after her husband's death. She too was a graduate of Northwestern State University and the 1893 class valedictorian. She taught school for a time in Tallulah in Madison Parish in northeastern Louisiana and in Lecompte in south Rapides Parish]. During [[World War II]], she was cited for the work of ''The Natchitoches Times'' in promoting drives for scrap iron and [[aluminum]]. [[U.S. President]] [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] recognized her work in promoting the sale of war bonds.<ref name=aepc>{{cite web|url=http://www.genealogy.com/users/m/e/t/Mildred-Methvin/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0100.html|title=Alicia Evelena Payne Cunningham|publisher=genealogy.com|accessdate=October 2, 2014}}</ref>