Erastus Fairbanks

Erastus Fairbanks

Erastus Fairbanks (born October 28, 1792 in Brimfield , Hampden County , Massachusetts , † November 20, 1864 in St. Johnsbury , Vermont ) was an American politician and governor of the state of Vermont from 1852 to 1853 and between 1860 and 1861 .

Early years

After finishing school, Erastus Fairbanks became a teacher himself for a short time. After moving to St. Johnsbury, he and his brother Thaddeus founded the E&T Fairbanks Company , which manufactured plows and stoves. The company also had great success with measuring and weighing devices. The company quickly grew to become Vermont's largest export company. She later operated across the United States and abroad. Fairbanks was also the founder and president of the Passumpsic Railway Company.

Political rise

Erastus Fairbanks became a member of the Whig Party . Between 1836 and 1838 he was an MP in the Vermont House of Representatives . In 1851, he was his party's top candidate for that year's gubernatorial election. Since the elections did not result in a clear majority, the legislature had to decide on the new governor. This ultimately chose Fairbanks.

Governor of Vermont and another résumé

Fairbanks was governor of Vermont for the first time between October 1, 1852 and October 1, 1853. He was to become the last Whigs governor in Vermont. The party then disbanded and Fairbanks then joined the newly formed Republican Party . During his first term, a law was passed banning the sale and transportation of alcoholic beverages in Vermont. This law remained in force until 1902. In 1853 the majority in the gubernatorial election was again very tight and the decision had to be made again in the legislature. This time it decided against Fairbanks and for the candidate of the Democratic Party , John S. Robinson , who would then be the last Democratic governor in Vermont until 1963. In 1856, Fairbanks was a delegate at the first Republican National Convention , at which John Charles Fremont was nominated as the first Republican presidential candidate.

In 1860, Fairbanks was elected governor for one year as a candidate for that party. During his second term of office, which ran until October 11, 1861, the American Civil War began . Fairbanks had always been an opponent of slavery and had advocated the Northern position in the run-up to the war. When President Abraham Lincoln issued a call for troop recruitment and support for the war effort, Governor Fairbanks fully supported these calls. He declared that this war must be won at all costs. As a result, young men were patterned and made available to the armed forces. The state's production was also converted to armaments.

In 1861, the governor turned down another candidacy. He retired from politics and died of heart failure three years later. He and his wife Lois Crossman had eight children, including their son Horace , who also became governor of Vermont between 1876 and 1878.

literature

• Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 4, Meckler Books, Westport, 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links

• Erastus Fairbanks at the National Governors Association (English)
• Erastus Fairbanks in the database of Find a Grave (English)