The Sprague family is an American business and political family in

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 ...

and

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. The family ran the largest textile firm in the United States and two of its members (

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. ...

and

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 ...

) held the offices of

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 ...

and

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and p ...

. The family arrived in the United States in 1629 when Ralph, Richard, and William Sprague emigrated from

Upwey, Dorset Upwey is a suburb of Weymouth in south Dorset, England. The suburb is situated on the B3159 road in the Wey valley. The area was formerly a village until it was absorbed into the Weymouth built-up area. It is located four miles north of th ...

, England to

Naumkeag Naumkeag is the former country estate of noted New York City lawyer Joseph Hodges Choate and Caroline Dutcher Sterling Choate, located at 5 Prospect Hill Road, Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The estate's centerpiece is a 44-room, Shingle Style ...

. The family arrived in Rhode Island in 1709 after William's son, also named William, purchased a house in

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

. In the early 1800s, William Sprague II founded a successful textile business in

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 ...

. During the early 1870s, the output of the Sprague family's nine mills was greater than all of the other mills in the United States combined and their profits were around $20 million annually. Due to bad investments and careless speculation, the company fell into receivership following 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 ...

. By 1875, almost all of the Spragues' assets had been sold. Francis Sprague, who was unrelated to Ralph, Richard, and William, settled in the

Plymouth Colony Plymouth Colony (sometimes Plimouth) was, from 1620 to 1691, the first permanent English colony in New England and the second permanent English colony in North America, after the Jamestown Colony. It was first settled by the passengers on the ...

in 1623. The two separate Sprague family trees converged with the marriage of Peleg Sprague, great-grandson of William Sprague, and Mercy Chandler, great-great granddaughter of Francis Sprague.

Notable members

* William Sprague (1609–1675), first family member to settle in America *Jonathan Sprague (1648–1741), member of the

Rhode Island General Assembly The State of Rhode Island General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. A bicameral body, it is composed of the lower Rhode Island House of Representatives with 75 representatives, and the upper Rhode Island Se ...

from 1695 to 1696, 1699–1700, 1702–1710, 1712, 1714 * William Sprague II (1773–1836), founder of the Sprague's milling business * Amasa Sprague (1798–1843), senior partner of A & W Sprague and murder victim * Charles Sprague (1791–1875), poet * Peleg Sprague (1793–1880), Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, U.S. Senator from Maine, and Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maine's 4th district *

(1799–1856), partner of A & W Sprague, Governor of Rhode Island, and U.S. Senator * John W. Sprague (1817–1893), soldier and railroad executive *

Isaac Sprague Isaac Sprague (September 5, 1811 – 1895) was a self-taught landscape, botanical, and ornithological painter. He was America's best known botanical illustrator of his day. Sprague was born in Hingham, Massachusetts and apprenticed with his unc ...

(1811–1895), botanical illustrator * Charles James Sprague (1823–1903), botanist *

William P. Sprague William Peter Sprague (May 21, 1827 – March 3, 1899) was a businessman, banker, politician, and a two-term U.S. Representative from Ohio, serving from 1871 to 1875. Biography Sprague was born near Malta in Morgan County, Ohio, and attend ...

(1827–1899), two-term U.S. Representative from Ohio * Amasa Sprague Jr. (1828–1902), partner of A & W Sprague and founder of

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, ...

(1830–1915), partner of A & W Sprague, Governor of Rhode Island, and U.S. Senator *

Charles F. Sprague Charles Franklin Sprague (June 10, 1857 – January 30, 1902) was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts, grandson of Peleg Sprague (1793–1880). Biography Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Sprague attended the public schools and was gradua ...

(1857–1902), Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 11th district * Frank J. Sprague (1857-1934), Inventor, Entepreuer, Electric Motor Engineer * Ernest L. Sprague (1876–1944), Secretary of State of Rhode Island *

Robert C. Sprague Robert C. Sprague (August 2, 1900 – September 27, 1991) was the son of Frank J. Sprague and Harriet Sprague. Sprague founded Sprague Electric (originally Sprague Specialties Company), Quincy, Massachusetts in 1926, and served as president from 19 ...

(1900-1991), Electrical Engineer, founder of

Sprague Electric Sprague Electric Company was an electronic component maker founded by Robert C. Sprague in 1926. Sprague was best known for making a large line of capacitors used in a wide variety of electrical and electronic in commercial, industrial and milita ...

, son of Frank J.

References

{{reflist American families of English ancestry Families from Massachusetts Families from Rhode Island Political families of the United States Sprague family