Roswell Farnham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roswell Farnham
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| 38th Governor of Vermont | |
| In office October 7, 1880 – October 5, 1882 |
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| Lieutenant | John L. Barstow |
| Preceded by | Redfield Proctor |
| Succeeded by | John L. Barstow |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 23, 1827 Boston, Massachusetts |
| Died | January 5, 1903 (aged 75) Bradford, Vermont |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Mary Elizabeth Johnson |
| Signature | .png){kind=small} |
Roswell Farnham (born July 23, 1827, died January 5, 1903) was an important American politician. He was a member of the Republican Party. Farnham also served as an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was a lawyer and became the 38th Governor of Vermont.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Roswell Farnham was born in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. His parents were Roswell and Nancy Bixby Farnham. His father ran a business making boots and shoes. They moved to Haverhill, Massachusetts. In 1839, his father's business faced financial difficulties.
In 1840, Roswell moved with his family to a farm. This farm was located on the Connecticut River in Bradford. He later attended the University of Vermont. He joined the Lambda Iota Society there. Roswell graduated in 1849 and earned a master's degree in 1852.
On December 25, 1849, he married Mary Elizabeth Johnson. She was from Bradford. Roswell and Mary had three children together. Their names were Charles Cyrus, Florence Mary, and William Mills.
A Life of Service
Teacher and Lawyer
Farnham began his career as a teacher. He taught at Dunham in Lower Canada. He was also the principal of Franklin Academical Institution in Franklin, Vermont. Later, he taught at the Bradford Academy.
While teaching, he also studied law. In 1857, he was allowed to practice law in Orange County. He worked with Robert McK. Ormsby for a short time. In 1859, he started his own law practice. He was elected as a state's attorney in 1859. He was re-elected to this position two more times. A state's attorney is a lawyer who represents the government in court cases.
Serving in the Civil War
When the American Civil War began, Farnham joined the military. He was a second lieutenant in the Bradford Guards. This company was part of the 1st Regiment Vermont Volunteers.
Later, he became a captain. He then rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He served with the 12th Regiment Vermont Volunteers. For almost half of his nine months of service, he was in charge of the regiment.
Entering Politics
After the war, Farnham went back to practicing law in Bradford. He ran for a position in the Legislature as a Republican. However, he was not elected that time.
He was elected to the Vermont State Senate in 1868 and 1869. He represented Orange County. In 1876, he was chosen as a delegate. This meant he represented his state at the Republican national convention. He was also a presidential elector that year. Presidential electors are people chosen to cast votes for president and vice president.
Governor of Vermont
In 1880, Farnham was elected Governor of Vermont. He won by a very large number of votes. At that time, it was the third-largest victory ever in Vermont.
As governor, he focused on making schools better. He also worked on improving prisons. He wanted to encourage manufacturing businesses to move to Vermont. This would create more jobs and help the state's economy.
Later Years
Roswell Farnham passed away in Bradford, Vermont. He is buried at the Bradford Town Cemetery.
