Amasa Sprague (December 19, 1828 – August 2, 1902) was an American businessman and politician from

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but i ...

. Born into an influential family, Sprague was a multi-millionaire textile industrialist until the

Panic of 1873 The Panic of 1873 was a financial crisis that triggered an depression (economics), economic depression in Europe and North America that lasted from 1873 to 1877 or 1879 in France and in United Kingdom, Britain. In Britain, the Panic started two ...

. He held various political offices in Rhode Island and was the Democratic nominee for

Governor of Rhode Island The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and serves as commander-in-chief of the state's Army National Guard and Air National Guard. The current governor is Democrat Dan McKee. In their capac ...

in the 1886 election.

Business

Sprague was born on December 19, 1828 at the

family residence Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...

Cranston, Rhode Island Cranston, once known as Pawtuxet, is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, Rhode Island. The official population of the city in the 2020 United States Census was 82,934, making it the second largest in the state. The cente ...

. He attended public and private schools and the

East Greenwich Academy The East Greenwich Academy (originally known as Kent Academy) was a private Methodist boarding school in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, USA that was in existence from 1802 until 1943. History The school was founded in 1802 by eight prominent men ...

. Following his father's murder in 1843, Sprague began to handle a large amount of responsibility for the A & W Sprague. After the death of his uncle

William Sprague III William Sprague, also known as William III or William Sprague III (November 3, 1799October 19, 1856), was a politician and industrialist from the U.S. state of Rhode Island, serving as the 14th Governor, a U.S. Representative and a U.S. Senator. ...

, Sprague and his brother

William Sprague IV William Sprague IV (September 12, 1830September 11, 1915) was the 27th Governor of Rhode Island from 1860 to 1863, and U.S. Senator from 1863 to 1875. He participated in the First Battle of Bull Run during the American Civil War while he was a ...

took control of the family's mills. They completed construction of the

Baltic, Connecticut Baltic is the town center village of the town of Sprague, Connecticut, and a census-designated place (CDP). The population of the CDP was 1,250 as of the 2010 census. The Sprague town hall is in Baltic. The Baltic Historic District is a historic ...

cotton mill planned by their uncle. The company's business grew during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

. During the early 1870s, the output of A & W Sprague's nine mills was greater than all of the other mills in the United States combined and the firm's profits were around $20 million annually. Due to bad investments and careless

speculation In finance, speculation is the purchase of an asset (a commodity, goods, or real estate) with the hope that it will become more valuable shortly. (It can also refer to short sales in which the speculator hopes for a decline in value.) Many ...

, the company fell into receivership following the Panic of 1873 and by 1875, almost all of the Spragues' assets had been sold.

Politics

Sprague served on his brother's staff during his term as governor and received the title of colonel. He represented Cranston in the

Rhode Island House of Representatives The Rhode Island House of Representatives is the lower house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, the upper house being the Rhode Island Senate. It is composed of 75 members, elected ...

from 1864 to 1865 and again from 1884 to 1885. After moving to Cowesett he represented

Warwick, Rhode Island Warwick ( or ) is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, the third largest city in the state with a population of 82,823 at the 2020 census. It is located approximately south of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, southwest of Boston, Massachu ...

in the

Rhode Island Senate The Rhode Island Senate is the upper house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, the lower house being the Rhode Island House of Representatives. It is composed of 38 Senators, each of w ...

. In 1886, Sprague was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Rhode Island. He lost to Republican incumbent

George P. Wetmore George Peabody Wetmore (August 2, 1846September 11, 1921) was an American politician who was the 37th Governor of, and a Senator from, Rhode Island. Early life George Peabody Wetmore was born in London, England, during a visit of his parent ...

53% to 37%. From 1890 until his death in 1902, Sprague served as sheriff of

Kent County, Rhode Island Kent County is a county located in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. As of the 2020 census, the population was 170,363, making it the second-most populous county in Rhode Island. The county was formed in 1750 from the southern third of Providen ...

. In 1890, Sprague switched from the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

to the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) *Republican Party ...

Horse racing

During the civil war, Sprague purchased horses for the

1st Rhode Island Cavalry Regiment The 1st Rhode Island Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment that participated in the American Civil War. They were badly routed at the Battle of Middleburg, a blemish on an otherwise competent combat record. History The 1st Rhode Island Cavalry ...

. After the war he bought a stock farm in

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to ...

and sold over 300 horses by 1873. In 1861, Sprague formed a partnership with Edward Babcock to operate a trotting park on a portion on Babcock's farm. The pair had a falling out over alleged gambling at the track and in 1867, Sprague opened

Narragansett Park Narragansett Park was an American race track for Thoroughbred horse racing in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Beginnings On May 18, 1934, Rhode Island voters approved a measure legalizing parimutuel betting by an almost 3 to 1 margin. The following day, ...

. In 1870, he helped found the National Association for the Promotion of the Interests of American Trotting Turf and served as the organization's president until his resignation in 1876. In 1881, Narragansett Park was purchased at auction for $25,000 by J. B. Barnaby.

Personal life

Sprague had one daughter, Fannie, with his first wife, Mary Warburton. On November 12, 1873 he married Harriet Byron Sprague, daughter of his first cousin Byron Sprague. They had one son, Amasa Sprague III. In the 1870s, Sprague constructed a large mansion in Cowesett, Rhode Island. He lived there until his death on August 2, 1902. The mansion was purchased by

Walter R. Stiness Walter Russell Stiness (March 13, 1854 – March 17, 1924) was a U.S. Representative from Rhode Island. Born in Smithfield, Rhode Island, Stiness attended the public schools and was a student at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, in 1 ...

following Sprague's death. It was later destroyed by fire.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sprague Jr, Amasa 1828 births 1902 deaths American horse racing industry executives American textile industry businesspeople Horse breeders Members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives People from Cranston, Rhode Island People from Warwick, Rhode Island Rhode Island Democrats Rhode Island Republicans Rhode Island sheriffs Rhode Island state senators