Reuben Eaton Fenton (July 4, 1819August 25, 1885) was an American merchant and politician from New York. In the mid-19th century, he served as a
U.S. Representative, a
U.S. Senator, and as Governor of New York.
Early life
Fenton was born near
Frewsburg, in Chautauqua County, New York, on July 4, 1819.
He was the son of a farmer, and schoolteacher, George Washington Fenton (1783–1860) and Elsey (née Owen) Fenton (1790–1875).
He had four siblings: Roswell Owen Fenton, George Washington Fenton Jr., William H.H. Fenton, and John Freeman Fenton.
His paternal grandparents were Roswell Fenton and Deborah (née Freeman) Fenton and his maternal grandfather was John Owen of
Carroll, New York.
His paternal aunt, Hannah Fenton was the wife of Lambert Van Buren of
Kinderhook, New York.
He was educated in the district school,
Cary's Academy near
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
, Ohio, and the
Fredonia Academy.
Career
In 1840, he was named commander of the
New York Militia's 162nd Infantry Regiment with the rank of
colonel
Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
. He became a lumber merchant, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1841.
Fenton entered politics as a
Democrat. He was
Town Supervisor of
Carroll from 1843 to 1850.
U.S. House of Representatives
He was elected as a Democrat to the
33rd United States Congress, and served from March 4, 1853, to March 3, 1855. In his first term in Congress, Fenton strongly opposed the
Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 and unsuccessfully tried to persuade President
Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. A northern Democratic Party (United States), Democrat who believed that the Abolitionism in the United States, abolitio ...
and U.S. Secretary of State
William L. Marcy to oppose the bill. He was defeated for re-election that year. He left the Democratic Party to help organize the Republican Party,
and was later elected, as a
Republican, to the
35th,
36th,
37th and
38th United States Congresses, and served from 1857 to 1865. During the 36th Congress, he served on the
Committee on Invalid Pensions and in the 37th Congress, he served on the
Committee on Claims.
He served a total of five terms as congressman.
Governor of New York
He was the
Governor of New York
The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor ...
from 1865 to 1868, elected in
1864 and
1866. "During his tenure, Cornell University was founded; a free public school system was initiated; and relief measures were sanctioned that benefited veterans."
After serving two terms as governor, Fenton lost the November 1868 election to
John T. Hoffman, a
Tammany-backed Democrat. In 1868, he was among the candidates to be Vice President but the nomination went eventually to
Schuyler Colfax
Schuyler Colfax Jr. ( ; March 23, 1823January 13, 1885) was an American journalist, businessman, and politician who served as the 17th vice president of the United States from 1869 to 1873, and prior to that as the 25th Speaker of the United Sta ...
,
whom Fenton had previously been allied with in discussing "growing public agitation about" General
George B. McClellan's inactivity with President
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
during the
U.S. Civil War.
U.S. Senator

In
January 1869, he was elected a
U.S. Senator from New York, succeeding
Edwin D. Morgan and serving from 1869 to 1875 when
Francis Kernan replaced him. While in the Senate, he served as Chair of the
Committee to Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses during the 42nd Congress while also serving on the
Committee on Manufactures and the
Committee on Territories.
In July 1870, President Grant appointed Thomas Murphy to be the
New York Customs House Collector, a position rich with patronage. Fenton opposed the nomination, but was unsuccessful when Sen.
Roscoe Conkling
Roscoe Conkling (October 30, 1829April 18, 1888) was an American lawyer and Republican Party (United States), Republican politician who represented New York (state), New York in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Se ...
gave a speech in which he produced proof that Fenton had stolen $12,000 as a young man rather than deliver it as a currier. Fenton had claimed he was robbed. Fenton, upon seeing the documents that had been produced by Conkling, slumped over his desk in defeat according to author Ron Chernow. The actions of Conkling secured his place as the leader of the Republican machine in New York and greatly reduced the clout of Fenton.
In 1872, he was among the Republicans opposed to President
Ulysses S. Grant who joined the short-lived
Liberal Republican Party.
Later life
In 1878, Fenton represented the United States at the
International Monetary Conference in Paris. He was known as "The Soldiers' Friend" for his efforts to help returning
Civil War
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
veterans. He worked to remove tuition charges for public education, helped to establish six schools for training teachers, and signed the charter for
Cornell University
Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...
.
Personal life

In 1840, Fenton was married to Jane W. Frew (1821–1842), the daughter of John Frew. They had one daughter, Jane Frew Fenton. After his first wife's death in 1842 Jane went to live with her maternal grandparents. Reuben got remarried on June 12, 1844, to Elizabeth Scudder (1824–1901). Together, they were the parents of:
* Josephine Fenton (1845–1928), who married Frank Edward Gifford (1845–1934).
* Jeannette Fenton (1849–1924), who married Albert Gilbert (1851–1912).
* Reuben Earle Fenton (1865–1895), who married Lillian Mai Hayden, daughter of Charles H. Hayden in 1890.
Fenton died on August 25, 1885, in
Jamestown,
and was buried in
Lake View Cemetery
Lake View Cemetery is a Private property, privately owned, Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Rural cemetery, garden cemetery located in the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Cleveland Heights, and East Cleveland, Ohio, East Cleveland ...
.
Legacy
The town of
Fenton in
Broome County, New York, is named After Reuben Fenton.
Fenton's family home was an
Italian Villa style house built in 1863. He and his family lived there until Fenton's wife died. After her death the house was abandoned before it became city property in 1919. It has been home to the Fenton History Center since 1964 and is now used as a museum dedicated to the local history of Chautauqua county.
[''See also:'' ] It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 1972.
After his death, a building at
The State University of New York at Fredonia, Fenton Hall, was named in his honor because he had attended the previous incarnation of the school, Fredonia Academy.
Fenton Avenue in
The Bronx
The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
, New York, is named for him.
See also
*
List of American politicians who switched parties in office
References
External links
*
*
Reuben Eaton Fenton Papers, 1854–1887at the
New York State Library
The New York State Library is a research library in Albany, New York, United States. It was established in 1818 to serve the state government of New York and is part of the New York State Education Department. The library is one of the large ...
Mr. Lincoln and New York: Reuben E. Fenton
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fenton, Reuben
Governors of New York (state)
1819 births
1885 deaths
New York (state) lawyers
Town supervisors in New York (state)
People from Chautauqua County, New York
People of New York (state) in the American Civil War
Republican Party United States senators from New York (state)
Union (American Civil War) state governors
People of the Six Years' War
New York (state) Liberal Republicans
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)
Republican Party governors of New York (state)
19th-century American lawyers
Liberal Republican Party United States senators
19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives
19th-century United States senators