Aaron Homer Byington (July 23, 1826 – December 29, 1910) was the U.S. Consul in

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

from 1897 to 1907. He was a newspaper publisher and editor. He also represented Norwalk in the

Connecticut House of Representatives The Connecticut State House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an ...

from 1858 to 1860, and was a member of the

Connecticut Senate The Connecticut State Senate is the upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The state senate comprises 36 members, each representing a district with around 99,280 inhabitants. Sena ...

representing the 12th District from 1861 to 1863. He was born in Herkimer,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, on July 23, 1826, to Aaron Byington and Sarah Waterbury.

Career

Upon completion of his studies, he worked in a minor position at the Norwalk Gazette. When the New Haven Morning Chronicle began publication with Thomas G. Woodward as editor, Byington became business manager. He remained in this capacity until 1848, when he bought the Norwalk Gazette. In the Gazette, Byington editorialized for giving blacks the vote, a distinctly minority position at the time. At the outbreak of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, and before regiments of Northern troops had arrived to defend Washington, there was a report of a plot to burn the capital. On April 18, 1861, this report mobilized loyal citizens, including Byington, and former congressman

Orris S. Ferry Orris Sanford Ferry (August 15, 1823 – November 21, 1875) was a Republican American lawyer and politician from Connecticut who served in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He was also a brigadier general ...

, also of Norwalk to form a militia. This militia was led by Cassius Marcellus Clay, and came to be known as the Cassius Clay Guard. During the war, Byington worked as a lobbyist for Connecticut's arms manufacturers. Byington was a raconteur who eventually got to know

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

and swapped tall tales and jokes with him. After the war Byington co-founded the New York Sun, along with Edmund C. Stedman and Charles A. Dana. He was a delegate to the

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...

from Connecticut in

1868 Events January–March * January 2 – British Expedition to Abyssinia: Robert Napier leads an expedition to free captive British officials and missionaries. * January 3 – The 15-year-old Mutsuhito, Emperor Meiji of Jap ...

and an alternate in

1880 Events January–March * January 22 – Toowong State School is founded in Queensland, Australia. * January – The international White slave trade affair scandal in Brussels is exposed and attracts international infamy. * February � ...

. In 1897, he suspended operations of the Norwalk Gazette when he was appointed by President

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...

United States Consul in

. He served until 1907. Byington died on December 29, 1910, in Flushing,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Byington, Aaron Homer 1826 births 1910 deaths American consuls American newspaper editors Burials in Riverside Cemetery (Norwalk, Connecticut) Republican Party Connecticut state senators Republican Party members of the Connecticut House of Representatives Politicians from Norwalk, Connecticut Writers from Norwalk, Connecticut People from Herkimer, New York American war correspondents 19th-century American newspaper publishers (people) 19th-century American legislators 19th-century Connecticut politicians