Roswell Farnham (July 23, 1827January 5, 1903) was an American politician of the Republican Party, an officer in the Union Army 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 ...

, a lawyer, and the 38th

governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of the U.S. state of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of two years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold guberna ...

Biography

Farnham was born in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, son of Roswell and Nancy Bixby Farnham. His father was in business and moved to

Haverhill, Massachusetts Haverhill ( ) is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Haverhill is located north of Boston on the New Hampshire border and about from the Atlantic Ocean. The population was 67,787 at the 2020 United States census. Located o ...

, where he began manufacturing boots and shoes until 1839. The financial downturn ruined him. In 1840 Roswell moved with his father and family to a farm on the Connecticut River in

Bradford Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...

. Farnham entered the junior class

University of Vermont The University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, commonly referred to as the University of Vermont (UVM), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont, United States. Foun ...

, where he was a member of the

Lambda Iota Society Lambda Iota Society () was a local fraternity at the University of Vermont. It was established in 1836 and merged with Pi Kappa Phi in 2018. History Lambda Iota was founded on at the University of Vermont. The main archive URL iThe Baird's Manua ...

: graduated in 1849, and earned a degree of A. M. in 1852. On December 25, 1849, he married Mary Elizabeth Johnson of

. The couple had three children, Charles Cyrus, Florence Mary, and William Mills.

Career

Farnham taught school at Dunham,

Lower Canada The Province of Lower Canada () was a British colonization of the Americas, British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence established in 1791 and abolished in 1841. It covered the southern portion o ...

; was principal of Franklin Academical Institution,

Franklin, Vermont Franklin is a town in Franklin County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,363 at the 2020 census. The original name was "Huntsburgh", but the name was changed to "Franklin" in 1817. Geography Franklin is located along the northern bor ...

; later taught at the Bradford Academy. He studied law during that time and was admitted to the Orange County Bar 1857. He formed partnership with Robert McK. Ormsby until 1859 when he began practicing independently. He was elected states attorney 1859, and twice re-elected. During the early part of the Civil War, Farnham was a second lieutenant in the Bradford Guards, a company in the

1st Vermont Infantry The 1st Vermont Infantry Regiment was a three months' infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the eastern theater, in and around Fortress Monroe, Virginia. History Responding to President Abraham Lincoln's ...

. Later, he was a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

and then the lieutenant colonel of the

12th Vermont Infantry The 12th Vermont Infantry Regiment was a nine months' infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the eastern theater, predominantly in the Defenses of Washington, from October 1862 to July 1863. It was a mem ...

, and for nearly half the term of his nine months of service was in command of the regiment. After the war, Farnham resumed practice of law at Bradford, and was Republican candidate for representative in the Legislature, but was defeated. He was elected to the

Vermont State Senate The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members elected from multi-member districts. Each senator represents at least 20,300 citizens. ...

from Orange County in 1868 and 1869. He was a delegate to the Republican national convention and presidential elector 1876. Farnham was elected

Governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of the U.S. state of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of two years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold guberna ...

1880 Events January *January 27 – Thomas Edison is granted a patent for the incandescent light bulb. Edison filed for a US patent for an electric lamp using "a carbon filament or strip coiled and connected ... to platina contact wires." gr ...

by a majority of over 26,000, at that time the third-largest majority ever recorded in the state of Vermont. During his tenure, he focused on school and prison reform. He also sought ways to encourage manufacturing businesses to relocate to Vermont.

Death

He died in Bradford and is interred at Bradford Town Cemetery, Bradford, Vermont.

References

External links

The Political GraveyardRockvillemama.comRoswell Farnham
at National Governors Association * {{DEFAULTSORT:Farnham, Roswell 1827 births 1903 deaths Republican Party governors of Vermont People of Vermont in the American Civil War 2nd Vermont Brigade Union army officers Republican Party Vermont state senators Vermont lawyers State's attorneys in Vermont 19th-century members of the Vermont General Assembly

Biography

Career

Death

References

Further reading

External links