John Butler Smith (April 12, 1838 – August 10, 1914) was an American manufacturer and

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician from

Hillsborough, New Hampshire Hillsborough, frequently spelled Hillsboro, is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,939 at the 2020 census. The town is home to Fox State Forest and part of Low State Forest. The main village of the t ...

who served as the 44th

governor of New Hampshire The governor of New Hampshire is the head of government of New Hampshire. The governor is elected during the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along with bordering Verm ...

from 1893 to 1895. He owned Contoocook Mills Company.

Biography

Smith was born in

Saxtons River, Vermont Saxtons River is an incorporated village in the town of Rockingham in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 479 at the 2020 census. For over a hundred years, Saxtons River has been the home of Vermont Academy, an independ ...

on April 12, 1838. He attended the public schools of

and the Francestown Academy. He worked in stores and shoe making factories before embarking on a successful business career, and eventually became owner of the Contoocook Mills Company and several stores, and his interests grew to include commercial real estate and banking. A

, Smith was an Alternate to the

1884 Republican National Convention The 1884 Republican National Convention was a presidential nominating convention held at the Exposition Hall in Chicago, Illinois, on June 3–6, 1884. It resulted in the nomination of former House Speaker James G. Blaine from Maine for presiden ...

and one of New Hampshire's 1884

presidential electors The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia appo ...

. From 1887 to 1889 he served as a member of the

Governor's Council The governments of the Thirteen Colonies of British America developed in the 17th and 18th centuries under the influence of the Constitution of the United Kingdom, British constitution. After the Thirteen Colonies had become the United States, the e ...

, and in 1890 he was elected Chairman of the Republican State Committee. In 1892 Smith won election as governor, and he served from January 5, 1893 to January 3, 1895. Governor Smith actively proposed programs for preserving state forests and improving roads and highways. After completing his term, he resumed management of his business interests and served as a member of the Republican State Committee. He died in Hillsborough on August 10, 1914 and was buried at Pine Grove Cemetery in Manchester. Smith donated liberally to the Congregational Church and several charities, and the Smith Memorial Congregational Church in Hillsborough is named for him. The Gov. John Butler Smith House in Hillsborough was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 2002.

References

External links

* 1838 births 1914 deaths People from Rockingham, Vermont American Congregationalists Republican Party governors of New Hampshire Members of the Executive Council of New Hampshire 19th-century American politicians {{NewHampshire-politician-stub