Israel Washburn Sr. (1784–1876) was a
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
, brother of
Reuel Washburn and father of
Israel Washburn Jr.
Israel Washburn Jr. (June 6, 1813 – May 12, 1883) was a United States political figure who was the Governor of Maine from 1861 to 1863. Originally a member of the Whig Party, he later became a founding member of the Republican Party. In 184 ...
,
Elihu B. Washburne
Elihu Benjamin Washburne (September 23, 1816 – October 22, 1887) was an Americans, American politician and diplomat. A member of the Washburn family, which played a prominent role in the early formation of the Republican Party (United States), ...
,
Cadwallader C. Washburn
Cadwallader Colden Washburn (April 22, 1818May 14, 1882) was an American businessman, politician, and soldier who founded a mill that later became General Mills. A member of the Washburn family of Maine, he was a U.S. Congressman and governor o ...
, and
William D. Washburn
William Drew "W.D." Washburn, Sr. (January 14, 1831 – July 29, 1912) was an American politician. He served in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate as a Republican from Minnesota. Three of his seven b ...
.
Charles Ames Washburn was an
elector
Elector may refer to:
* Prince-elector or elector, a member of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Holy Roman Emperors
* Elector, a member of an electoral college
** Confederate elector, a member of ...
and a
diplomat
A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...
. He married
Martha Benjamin "Patty" Washburn and had eleven children with her, ten survived, including seven sons.
Family Origin
Israel Washburn Sr's family was from Massachusetts. Their ancestor emigrated from England in 1631.
He was born in
Raynham, Massachusetts
Raynham () is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located approximately south of Boston and northeast of Providence, Rhode Island. The population was 15,082 at the 2020 census. It has one village, Raynham Center.
History ...
on Nov.18th, 1784. He was the son of Israel 4 Washburn and Abiah King, a lawyer in Raynham, MA. His grandfather and rear grandfather were also lawyers in
Bridgewater, Plymouth County, MA.
Settlement in Maine
At 25 Israel Washburn Sr bought a homestead with some acres of farm lands at Nordlands,
Livermore, Maine
Livermore is a town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. Formerly in Oxford County, Maine. The population was 2,127 at the 2020 United States Census. It is included in both the Lewiston- Auburn, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area and t ...
. He settled there.
He lived on farming and opened a general store.
On March 26, 1812 he married Martha Benjamin (1792-1861), daughter of Lieutenant Samuel Benjamin, a Revolutionary War Veteran, at Livermore, ME.
Political career
Israel Washburn was elected twice and he served in the
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...
1815–1816 and 1818–1819.
He remained very active in local politics until 1829.
End of life
In 1829, his general store failed and Israel returned to farming.
He became blind at 75, in 1859. Two years after, in 1861 he lost his wife Martha.
He died on Sep 1st, 1876.
Notes
1784 births
1876 deaths
Members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Washburn family
19th-century American politicians
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