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

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

. 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 economic depression in Europe and North America that lasted from 1873 to 1877 or 1879 in France and in Britain. In Britain, the Panic started two decades of stagnation known as the "L ...

. 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 Dan McKee, a member of the Democrati ...

in the 1886 election.

Business

Sprague was born on December 19, 1828, at the

family residence Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as m ...

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

. 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, United States that operated from 1802 until 1943. History The school was founded in 1802 by eight prominent m ...

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

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. 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, good (economics), goods, or real estate) with the hope that it will become more valuable in a brief amount of time. It can also refer to short sales in which the speculator hope ...

, 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 (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, the upper house being the Rhode Island Senate. It is ...

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, United States, and is the third-largest city in the state, with a population of 82,823 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Warwick is located approximately south of downtown Pr ...

, 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 Rhode Island. He later served as a United States Senator for the same state. Early life George Peabody Wetmore was born in Londo ...

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 Provide ...

. In 1890, Sprague switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party.

Horse racing

During the civil war, Sprague purchased horses for the 1st Rhode Island Cavalry Regiment. After the war he bought a stock farm in

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

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 $25,000 (~$ in ) 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 18 ...

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 Sprague family