William Gaston (September 26, 1785 – September 12, 1837) was a prominent merchant in Savannah, Georgia. A major thoroughfare,

Gaston Street Gaston Street is a prominent street in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Located south of Gordon Street, it runs for about from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in the west to East Broad Street in the east. Originally known only as Gaston ...

, in that city is now named for him.

Early life and career

Gaston was born on September 26, 1785, in

Somerset County, New Jersey Somerset County is a county located in the north-central part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States Census, the county's population was 345,361, an increase of 21,917 (6.8%) from the 323,444 counted at the 2010 U.S Cen ...

, to William Gaston Sr. and Naomi Teeple. Early in his life he was engaged to a young lady from

Morristown, New Jersey Morristown () is a town and the county seat of Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. ...

. "He left New York, full of love and anticipations of happiness, to fulfil his engagement, when he found the object of his affection dangerously ill," wrote Gaston's friend Philip Hone in his published diary. She died shortly afterwards. Affected greatly by his loss, Gaston lived the rest of his life as a bachelor. He moved to Savannah, Georgia, where, in November 1805, he established himself as a cotton merchant. He had a branch office in New York City, where he was assisted by his nephew, William Ker Gaston (1806–1885). He went on to live in a "stately old mansion" at Broughton Street and Habersham Street. He also had a cottage on

Long Island, New York Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18th ...

, at the Narrows, near Fort Hamilton.

Death and legacy

Gaston, nicknamed ''The Perfect Host'', died on September 12, 1837, while in New York City, and in the presence of his nephew. He was 52. He was described as "an upright merchant, an accomplished gentleman, a benevolent man." He was originally interred in the

New York Marble Cemetery The New York Marble Cemetery is a burial ground established in 1830 in what is now the East Village of Manhattan. It occupies the interior of the block bounded by 2nd Street, Second Avenue, 3rd Street, and the Bowery. I ...

in Manhattan, but was later moved, at the request of William Ker Gaston, to Savannah's Bonaventure Cemetery. The Gaston Tomb, also known as the "Stranger's Tomb" because it provided a temporary place of rest for visitors who died while in Savannah, was originally constructed in Colonial Park Cemetery in 1844.

in Savannah is named for him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gaston, Thomas 1785 births 1837 deaths People from Somerset County, New Jersey People from Savannah, Georgia