C. F. Nelson Pratt
| Charles Forest Nelson Pratt | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 10th Essex district |
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In office 1927–1935 |
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| Preceded by | Harriet Russell Hart |
| Succeeded by | William Landergan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 4, 1891 Saugus, Massachusetts |
| Died | November 5, 1968 (aged 77) Saugus General Hospital Saugus, Massachusetts |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education |
Saugus High School Northeastern University Boston University School of Law |
| Occupation | Shoe factory foreman Politician |
Charles Forest Nelson Pratt (February 4, 1891 – November 5, 1968) was a Republican politician from Saugus, Massachusetts.
He was born on February 4, 1891 in Saugus, Massachusetts. A graduate of Saugus High School, Northeastern University, and Boston University School of Law, During World War I he was a conscientious objector and was working at the A. E. Little shoe company.
Pratt served on the Saugus School Board from 1916 to 1919.
In 1919, Pratt was elected to the Board of Selectmen where he would later serve as chairman. In 1925, he made headlines for his plan to arm 100 hand-picked citizens in order to deter bandits from operating in Saugus. Pratt dropped his proposal for a "vigilance committee" at the next meeting.
On August 4, 1935, Pratt was 15 minutes late to a Selectmen's meeting. When he arrived, he found that the other two members had voted to remove him as chairman of the board and replace him with John J. Mullen. That October, Pratt accused Mullen of coercing Works Progress Administration workers by threatening to have them fired if they did not vote for President Franklin D. Roosevelt and telling them they were expected to attend a Democratic Party rally at Saugus Town Hall. Mullen later accused Pratt of assaulting him, but the charges were not pressed due to lack of evidence. Mullen issued himself a permit for a .38-caliber pistol for protection against Pratt. After it was learned that Mullen had issued himself a gun permit, a group of citizens stoned his home. Both Pratt and Mullen were defeated in the 1937 election.
Pratt was the leading opponent of the Plan E form of government in Saugus. Plan E would create the office of Town Manager, expand the Board of Selectmen from three members to five, change the electoral system for town elections to Single transferable vote, and change a number of elected positions to appointed positions. The Plan E form of government was adopted following a June 2, 1947 referendum in which the proposed form of government was supported 3,252 votes to 816.
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