Reuben Eaton Fenton (July 4, 1819August 25, 1885) was an American merchant and politician from
New York. In the mid-
19th Century, he served as a
U.S. Representative, a
U.S. Senator, and as Governor of New York.
Early life
Fenton was born near
Frewsburg, in
Chautauqua County, New York on July 4, 1819.
He was the son of a farmer, and schoolteacher, George Washington Fenton (1783–1860) and Elsey (
née Owen) Fenton (1790–1875).
He had four siblings: Roswell Owen Fenton, George Washington Fenton Jr., William H.H. Fenton, and John Freeman Fenton.
His paternal grandparents were Roswell Fenton and Deborah (née Freeman) Fenton and his maternal grandfather was John Owen of
Carroll, New York.
His paternal aunt, Hannah Fenton was the wife of Lambert Van Buren of
Kinderhook, New York
Kinderhook is a town in the northern part of Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 8,330 at the 2020 census, making it the most populous municipality in Columbia County. The name of the town means "Children's Corner" in the ...
.
He was educated in the district school,
Cary's Academy near
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wi ...
and the
Fredonia Academy.
Career
In 1840, he was named commander of the
New York Militia
The New York Guard (NYG) is the state defense force of New York State, also called The New York State Military Reserve. Originally called the New York State Militia it can trace its lineage back to the American Revolution and the War of 1812.
Th ...
's 162nd Infantry Regiment with the rank of
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...
. He became a lumber merchant, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1841.
Fenton entered politics as a
Democrat. He was
Town Supervisor of
Carroll from 1843 to 1850.
U.S. House of Representatives
He was elected as a Democrat to the
33rd United States Congress, and served from March 4, 1853, to March 3, 1855. In his first term in Congress, Fenton strongly opposed the
Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 and unsuccessfully tried to persuade President
Franklin Pierce and
U.S. Secretary of State
The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's Ca ...
William L. Marcy to oppose the bill. He was defeated for re-election that year. He left the Democratic Party to help organize the Republican Party,
and was later elected, as a
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 ...
, to the
35th Military units
*35th Fighter Wing, an air combat unit of the United States Air Force
*35th Infantry Division (United States), a formation of the National Guard since World War I
*35th Infantry Regiment (United States), a regiment created on 1 July 1 ...
,
36th,
37th and
38th United States Congress
The 38th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1863, ...
es, and served from 1857 to 1865. During the 36th Congress, he served on the
Committee on Invalid Pensions and in the 37th Congress, he served on the
Committee on Claims.
He served a total of five terms as congressman.
Governor of New York
He was the
Governor of New York from 1865 to 1868, elected in
1864 and
1866
Events January–March
* January 1
** Fisk University, a historically black university, is established in Nashville, Tennessee.
** The last issue of the abolitionist magazine '' The Liberator'' is published.
* January 6 – Ottoman t ...
. "During his tenure, Cornell University was founded; a free public school system was initiated; and relief measures were sanctioned that benefited veterans."
After serving two terms as governor, Fenton lost the November 1868 election to
John T. Hoffman, a
Tammany
Tamanend (historically also known as Taminent, Tammany, Saint Tammany or King Tammany, "the Affable," ) (–) was the Chief of Chiefs and Chief of the Turtle Clan of the Lenni-Lenape nation in the Delaware Valley signing the Peace Treaty with ...
-backed Democrat. In 1868, he was among the candidates to be
Vice President
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...
but the nomination went eventually to
Schuyler Colfax
Schuyler Colfax Jr. (; March 23, 1823 – January 13, 1885) was an American journalist, businessman, and politician who served as the 17th vice president of the United States from 1869 to 1873, and prior to that as the 25th speaker of the Hous ...
,
whom Fenton had previously been allied with in discussing "growing public agitation about" General
George B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American soldier, Civil War Union general, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey. A graduate of West Point, McCl ...
's inactivity with President
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 ...
during the
U.S. Civil War.
U.S. Senator
In
January 1869, he was elected a
U.S. Senator from New York
Below is a list of U.S. senators who have represented the State of New York in the United States Senate since 1789. The date of the start of the tenure is either the first day of the legislative term (Senators who were elected regularly before th ...
, succeeding
Edwin D. Morgan and serving from 1869 to 1875 when
Francis Kernan replaced him. While in the Senate, he served as Chair of the
Committee to Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses during the 42nd Congress while also serving on the
Committee on Manufactures and the
Committee on Territories.
In 1872, he was among the Republicans opposed to President
Ulysses S. Grant who joined the short-lived
Liberal Republican Party.
Later life
In 1878, Fenton represented the United States at the
International Monetary Conference in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
. He was known as "The Soldiers' Friend" for his efforts to help returning
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
veterans. He worked to remove tuition charges for public education, helped to establish six schools for training teachers, and signed the charter for
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...
.
Personal life
In 1840, Fenton was married to Jane W. Frew (1821–1842), the daughter of John Frew. They had one daughter, Jane Frew Fenton. After his first wife's death in 1842 Jane went to live with her maternal grandparents. Reuben got remarried on June 12, 1844 to Elizabeth Scudder (1824–1901). Together, they were the parents of:
* Josephine Fenton (1845–1928), who married Frank Edward Gifford (1845–1934).
* Jeannette Fenton (1849–1924), who married Albert Gilbert (1851–1912).
* Reuben Earle Fenton (1865–1895), who married Lillian Mai Hayden, daughter of Charles H. Hayden in 1890.
Fenton died on August 25, 1885 in
Jamestown,
and was buried in
Lake View Cemetery
Lake View Cemetery is a privately owned, nonprofit garden cemetery located in the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, and East Cleveland in the U.S. state of Ohio. Founded in 1869, the cemetery was favored by wealthy families during the Gil ...
.
Legacy
The town of
Fenton in
Broome County, New York is named for Reuben Fenton.
Fenton's family home was an
Italian Villa style house built in 1863. He and his family lived there until the passing of Fenton's wife. After her passing the house was abandoned before it became city property in 1919. It has been home to the Fenton History Center since 1964 and is now used as a museum dedicated to the local history of Chautauqua county.
[''See also:'' ] It was listed on 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 ...
in 1972.
After his death, a building at
The State University of New York at Fredonia, Fenton Hall, was named in his honor because he had attended the previous incarnation of the school, Fredonia Academy.
Fenton Avenue in
The Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
,
New York, is named for him.
See also
*
List of American politicians who switched parties in office
The following American politicians switched parties while they were holding elected office.
Federal
State
Local
See also
* List of Canadian politicians who have crossed the floor
* List of elected British politicians who have chang ...
References
External links
*
*
Reuben Eaton Fenton Papers, 1854-1887at the
New York State LibraryMr. Lincoln and New York: Reuben E. Fenton
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fenton, Reuben
Governors of New York (state)
1819 births
1885 deaths
New York (state) lawyers
Town supervisors in New York (state)
People from Chautauqua County, New York
People of New York (state) in the American Civil War
Republican Party United States senators from New York (state)
Union (American Civil War) state governors
New York (state) Liberal Republicans
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)
Republican Party governors of New York (state)
19th-century American politicians
19th-century American lawyers
Liberal Republican Party United States senators