Roswell Farnham

Roswell Farnham
38th Governor of Vermont
In office October 7, 1880 – October 5, 1882
Lieutenant	John L. Barstow
Preceded by	Redfield Proctor
Succeeded by	John L. Barstow
Member of the Vermont Senate from Orange County
In office 1868–1870 Serving with James Hutchinson Jr.
Preceded by	Burnham Martin Hiram Barrett
Succeeded by	Heman A. White Harry H. Niles
State's Attorney of Orange County, Vermont
In office 1859–1862
Preceded by	Charles C. Dewey
Succeeded by	John W. Rowell
Personal details
Born	(1827-07-23)July 23, 1827 Boston, Massachusetts
Died	January 5, 1903(1903-01-05) (aged 75) Bradford, Vermont
Resting place	Bradford Town Cemetery
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Mary Elizabeth Johnson
Education	University of Vermont
Profession	Attorney
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States (Union)
Branch/service	Union Army
Years of service	1861-1863
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel
Unit	1st Vermont Infantry 12th Vermont Infantry
Battles/wars	American Civil War

Roswell Farnham (July 23, 1827 – January 5, 1903) was an American politician of the Republican Party, an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, a lawyer, and the 38th governor of Vermont.

Biography

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

Farnham entered the junior class University of Vermont, where he was a member of the Lambda Iota Society: graduated in 1849, and earned a degree of A. M. in 1852. On December 25, 1849, he married Mary Elizabeth Johnson of Bradford. The couple had three children, Charles Cyrus, Florence Mary, and William Mills.

Career

Farnham taught school at Dunham, Lower Canada; was principal of Franklin Academical Institution, Franklin, Vermont; 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. Later, he was a captain and then the lieutenant colonel of the 12th Vermont Infantry, 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 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 in 1880 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.

Further reading

• Prentiss C. Dodge, compiler, "Encyclopedia Vermont Biography," Ullery Publishing Company, Burlington, Vermont, 1912, p. 45.

External links

• The Political Graveyard
• Rockvillemama.com
• Roswell Farnham at National Governors Association
• Roswell Farnham at Find a Grave