Horace Eaton (June 22, 1804 – July 4, 1855) was an American Whig politician, a medical doctor, the 14th

lieutenant governor of Vermont The lieutenant governor of Vermont is elected for a two-year term and chosen separately from the governor. The Vermont Lieutenant Governor's main responsibilities include acting as governor when the governor is out of state or incapacitated, presi ...

, and the 18th

governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...

Biography

Eaton was born in

Barnard, Vermont Barnard is a town in Windsor County, Vermont. The population was 992 at the 2020 census. The town has two unincorporated villages: Barnard and East Barnard, along with the hamlets of Newcombsville, Mountain Meadows, and Fort Defiance.https://w ...

, on June 22, 1804. He graduated from

Middlebury College Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalists, Middlebury was the first operating college or university in Vermont. The college currently enrolls 2,858 undergraduates from all ...

in 1825, taught at Middlebury Academy for two years, then moved to Enosburg, a village in

Berkshire, Vermont Berkshire is a town in Franklin County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,547 at the 2020 census. It contains the unincorporated village of East Berkshire. Geography Berkshire is located in northeastern Franklin County. Its northern b ...

, where his father practiced medicine. He studied with his father while attending

medical school A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, M ...

Castleton State College Castleton University is a public university in Castleton, Vermont. It has an enrollment of 2000 students and offers more than 30 undergraduate programs, as well as master's degrees in education and accounting. It is accredited by the New England ...

; Eaton graduated in 1828, and then joined his father's practice. He was married twice; first to Cordelia H. Fuller with whom he had two children, and then to Edna Palmer.

Career

Eaton was town clerk of Enosburg. He was a member of the

Vermont Senate The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-m ...

in 1837 and from 1839 to 1842. Eaton was elected the

and served from 1843 to 1846. Eaton served as the eighteenth

from 1846 to 1848. He was a delegate to the state Constitutional Convention in 1848. During his administration, he opposed the admission of slave states to the

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

and to the Mexican War. Eaton played a key role in the creation of the state Superintendent of Public Instruction position, and he was the first one to hold it, serving from 1845 to 1850. In 1848 he was appointed professor of chemistry and natural history at Middlebury, and held the chair until 1855.

Death

Eaton died in

Middlebury, Vermont Middlebury is the shire town (county seat) of Addison County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 9,152. Middlebury is home to Middlebury College and the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History. History One of ...

, on July 4, 1855, the 79th anniversary of American independence; and is interred at Enosburg

Center Cemetery Center Cemetery is a historic cemetery on the south side of Sam Hill Road in Worthington, Massachusetts. The cemetery was established c. 1774 (the date of its earliest marker), and continues to be used today. Its burials include many of the f ...

, Enosburg Center,

Franklin County, Vermont Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 census, the population was 49,946. Its county seat is the city of St. Albans. It borders the Canadian province of Quebec. The county was created in 1792 and organi ...

References

External links

Horace Eaton
at ''The Political Graveyard''

at ''National Governors Association'' *
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eaton, Horace 1804 births 1855 deaths Governors of Vermont Vermont Whigs Middlebury College alumni People from Windsor County, Vermont People from Barnard, Vermont People from Enosburgh, Vermont Vermont state senators Presidents pro tempore of the Vermont Senate Lieutenant Governors of Vermont Whig Party state governors of the United States 19th-century American politicians Burials in Vermont