Frederick Smyth

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Frederick Smyth (born March 9, 1819 in Candia , Rockingham County , New Hampshire , †  April 22, 1899 in Manchester , New Hampshire) was an American politician and governor of the state of New Hampshire from 1865 to 1867 .

Early years

Frederick Smyth attended elementary school in his home country and went to Phillips Academy in Massachusetts for a year . For financial reasons, he could not afford a longer school period at this institution. He then became a successful businessman in Manchester. There he first worked as an employee in a general store. After three years he became a co-owner of this business. Smyth also got into banking, becoming president of the First National Bank of Manchester and serving on the board of directors of Merrimack River Savings Bank . He also became president of the Concord Railroad and was treasurer of the New Hampshire Agricultural Association.

Political rise

From 1849 Smyth was politically active in the city of Manchester. Between 1852 and 1854 he was mayor of this city, an office that he was to exercise again in 1864. At that time the first sidewalks and street lighting as well as a modern water supply were built in the city. Between 1857 and 1858 he was a member of the Republican Party in the New Hampshire House of Representatives . In 1860, Smyth was chairman of the New Hampshire regional Republican party convention. In 1862 he was one of the US representatives at the World's Fair in London. In 1865 he was elected governor of his state.

New Hampshire Governor

Frederick Smyth took up his new office on June 8, 1865. After re-election in 1866, he could remain in office until June 6, 1867. During this time he had to deal with the consequences of the civil war that ended in April 1865 . This included the retirement of returning soldiers from the armed forces and their reintegration into society. The wounded and invalids had to be cared for in the same way as the relatives of the soldiers who died in the war. Another problem was the high national debt created by the war, which the governor worked to reduce. The laws of the state were modernized and the 13th amendment was ratified. In addition, the militia was restructured.

Further life

After his tenure ended, Smyth became the curator of a home for the disabled. He held this office until 1878. In 1872 he was a delegate at the Republican National Convention and in 1878 he was an honorary commissioner of the American delegation at the World Exhibition in Paris . Frederick Smyth founded the Smyth Prize, which was awarded to agricultural students between 1881 and 1904. He had the Smyth Tower in Manchester built in 1888. In addition, Smyth continued to do business. He died in 1899. Governor Smith was married twice.

Web links