John Price Cochran (February 7, 1809 – December 27, 1898) was an American politician from Middletown in

New Castle County, Delaware New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex). As of the 2020 census, the population was 570,719, making it the most populous county in Delaware, with nearly 60% of th ...

. He was a member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

, who served as

Governor of Delaware A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Early life and family

Cochran was born in Appoquinimink Hundred, near

Middletown, Delaware Middletown is a town in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the town is 18,871. Geography and climate Middletown is located at (39.4495560, –75.7163207) with an elevation of . According t ...

, son of Robert and Rebecca Ryland Cochran. He married Eliza Polk in 1833 and had seven children: William R., Clara Rebecca, Charles Polk, John Price Jr., Eliza, Julian, and Cyrus. His wife, Eliza died in childbirth in 1855 and he married secondly, Mary Tumlin. There were no known children of this marriage. They lived at " Cochran Grange," one mile west of Middletown and were members of the Presbyterian Church. He was a "leading farmer and fruit grower."

Professional and political career

Cochran was elected to the

New Castle County New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex). As of the 2020 census, the population was 570,719, making it the most populous county in Delaware, with nearly 60% of the ...

Levy Court in 1838 and 1846. In 1874 he was elected

by defeating Isaac Jump, the

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 ...

candidate and served from January 19, 1875, until January 21, 1879. He was the first governor from New Castle County in thirty years, and was regarded as a progressive governor, advocating improvements to the school law, and reapportionment of the General Assembly, to more fairly reflect the population of New Castle County. The reapportionment proposal was not approved. The General Assembly did, however, pass legislation requiring businesses serving the public "to provide equal accommodations for those who might be deemed obnoxious by others." This effort to deny civil rights to

African-Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of enslav ...

was to remain on the books until 1963.

Death and legacy

Cochran died at his home near Middletown and is buried in the Forest Presbyterian Cemetery at Middletown. One of his former homes, Cochran Grange, survives today. Another, Summerton, inherited by his daughter Eliza Green, remained in the Green family until 1953, after which it had a succession of owners. In the mid-1980s and mid-2016, Summerton was considered for historic preservation, but such was opposed by its owner since 2012, Bluegrass Investments LLC, which kept the property vacant and arranged for its demolition and replacement by a Royal Farms convenience store and gas station. The involved real estate agent, Lisa Johannsen, in light of the 500 online signatures to stop the demolition, arranged for a farewell picnic.Middletown Transcript p. A16 (April 28, 2016)

Almanac

Elections are held on the first Tuesday after November 1. The governor takes office the third Tuesday in January, and has a four-year term.

References

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Images

Hall of Governors Portrait Gallery
''Portrait courtesy of Historical and Cultural Affairs, Dover''

External links

Places with more information

Delaware Historical Society The Delaware Historical Society began in 1864 as an effort to preserve documents from the Civil War. Since then, it has expanded into a statewide historical institution with several buildings, including Old Town Hall and the Delaware History Muse ...

website
505 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801; (302) 655-7161 *

University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 ma ...

Library website
181 South College Avenue, Newark, Delaware 19717; (302) 831-2965 {{DEFAULTSORT:Cochran, John P. 1809 births 1898 deaths American Presbyterians People from Middletown, Delaware Farmers from Delaware Democratic Party governors of Delaware Burials in New Castle County, Delaware 19th-century American politicians