Charles Paine
Charles Paine | |
|---|---|
 OfficialVermont State Houseportrait | |
| 15thGovernor of Vermont | |
| In office October 15, 1841 – October 13, 1843 | |
| Lieutenant | Waitstill R. Ranney |
| Preceded by | Silas H. Jennison |
| Succeeded by | John Mattocks |
| Member of theVermont House of Representatives | |
| In office 1828–1830 | |
| Preceded by | John Starkweather |
| Succeeded by | Lebbeus Bennett |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 15, 1799 Williamstown, Vermont |
| Died | July 6, 1853(aged 54) Waco, Texas |
| Resting place | Elmwood Cemetery, Northfield, Vermont |
| Political party | Whig |
| Domestic partner | Lorinda Stevens |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Harvard College |
| Profession | Businessman |
Charles Paine(April 15, 1799 – July 6, 1853) was an AmericanWhigpolitician, woolen mill owner, merchant, railroad builder, and the 15thgovernor of Vermont.
Biography
[edit]Paine was the son ofElijah Paineand Sarah (Porter) Paine, and was born inWilliamstown, Vermont.He graduated fromHarvard Universityin 1820,[1][2]and became active in several business ventures. Though he never married, he had two children with Lorinda Stevens of Northfield.[3][4]
Career
[edit]Paine moved toNorthfield,Vermont in the early part of the nineteenth century to run the family woolen mill. He operated this business until it was destroyed by fire in 1848. Paine's Meeting House was built in 1835 for the mill's workers as a place for worship. It still functions as one today. He had various other business interests including a hotel and a store, but he is most often remembered as the individual who brought railroads to Vermont. He founded theVermont Central Railroadand served as the first president of the company.[5]
In Northfield, Paine held the offices of TownSelectmanandModeratorof theTown Meeting.In his political life he was a member of theVermont House of Representativesfrom 1828 through 1829. He was the15thGovernor of Vermont from 1841 until 1843. During his tenure, a stricter accounting of public funds was established.[6]
As the founder and president of theVermont Central RailroadPaine built its headquarters in his home town of Northfield, despite the hilly terrain, earning the enmity of residents of larger, more accessible nearby towns. In the extensive yard, engines and railroad cars were built and repaired.[7]In 1853 the Vermont Central Railroad went into bankruptcy due to overexpansion and, in some cases, mismanagement. The railroad was placed under receivership and renamed the Central Vermont Railroad. Its headquarters were moved to St. Albans.
Death
[edit]Paine died inWaco, Texasafter three weeks of dysentery while helping theSouthern Pacific Railroadchoose a route. He is interred at Elmwood Cemetery, Northfield,Washington County,Vermont.[8]Paine's home at 75 South Main Street, in Northfield is the location of the NorthfieldHistorical Society,and is connected by an extension to the town'sBrown Public Library.[9]
References
[edit]- ^Porcellian Club of Harvard University (1857).Catalogue of the Porcellian Club of Harvard University.Cambridge, MA: Allen and Farnham. p. 32.
- ^Harvard University (1900).Quinquennial Catalogue of the Officers and Graduates of Harvard University.Cambridge, MA: John Wilson and Son. p. 144.
- ^"Charles Paine".National Governors Association.RetrievedOctober 31,2012.
- ^Bassett, Thomas Day Seymour (1992).The Growing Edge: Vermont Villages, 1840-1880.Montpelier, VT: Vermont Historical Society. p. 100.ISBN978-0-9347-2036-6– viaGoogle Books.
- ^"Charles Paine".National Governors Association.RetrievedOctober 31,2012.
- ^"Charles Paine".National Governors Association.RetrievedOctober 31,2012.
- ^"Charles Paine".Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce.Archivedfrom the original on June 26, 2006.RetrievedOctober 31,2012.
- ^"Charles Paine".The Political Graveyard.Archivedfrom the original on November 2, 2012.RetrievedOctober 31,2012.
- ^"Charles Paine".Northfield Historical Society.Archivedfrom the original on November 7, 2012.RetrievedOctober 31,2012.
Further reading
[edit]- New England Puritan(published in Boston), Thursday, August 4, 1853
External links
[edit]- The Political Graveyard
- Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce
- National Governors Association
- Charles PaineatFind a Grave
- Northfield Historical Society
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