Asa Fowler
Encyclopedia
Asa Fowler was a New Hampshire
politician, lawyer and jurist. He served as a justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court from August 1, 1855 until February 1, 1861 and in the New Hampshire House of Representatives
1845, 1847, 1848 and 1871 to 1872. In 1872 he was Speaker of the House. During all other years in the House, he served on the judiciary committee. He was nominated for governor of New Hampshire by the Free Soil Party
in 1855.
He was born in Pembroke
, New Hampshire to Benjamin and Mehitable (Ladd) Fowler on February 23, 1811. From an early age, he was put to work on the family farm along with his ten siblings, but Asa contracted typhoid fever when he was fourteen and was thereafter unable to do anything other than light farm work. This proved to be a blessing in disguise because Asa was allowed to return to the education that he and his brothers and sisters had abandoned in order to work on the farm. After attending Blanchard Academy in Pembroke on a part time basis (he still had to do light work on the farm), Asa was admitted as a sophomore to Dartmouth College
where he was Phi Beta Kappa and graduated in 1833. After briefly working as a schoolmaster in Topsfield
, Massachusetts
, Fowler went to work for James Sullivan, Esq. in Pembroke where he began the study of law. In 1834, he moved to Concord
, New Hampshire where he continued to study law in the office of Charles H. Peaslee. At the same time, he worked as a feelance journalist and co-edited a literary gazette. In 1835, Fowler was elected clerk of the New Hampshire State Senate, which office he held for five years.
Admitted to the bar in February 1837, Fowler was in practice by himself until September 1838 when he formed a partnership with Franklin Pierce
, the future president of the United States. This partnership continued until April 1845. Other legal colleagues included John Y. Mugridge from 1854 to 1855 and William E. Chandler
from 1861 to 1864. Fowler retired from the practice of law in 1877.
He was a U.S. Commissioner for the State of New Hampshire from 1846 until his death; in February 1861, he was a delegate to the Peace Congress
held in Washington, D.C.
, which sought in vain to prevent the American Civil War
; and he was the solicitor of Merrimack County, New Hampshire from 1861 to 1865. Following his departure from the last office, he served on a three-man commission charged with the revision of New Hampshire’s laws, and he shepherded through the legislature the resulting general statutes, which were approved in 1867. In his community, Fowler took a keen interest in public libraries and schools, and he served on the Board of Education in Concord.
Fowler also served as director of a railroad and two banks, additionally serving as president of the railroad and one of the banks. He is said to have resigned as president and director of the First National Bank when “he lost confidence in the cashier.” (Did this mean that Fowler believed the head cashier to be shady or incompetent, but no one else on the board was willing to fire him??)
On July 13, 1837, Fowler married Mary Dole Cilley Knox (1815-1882). They had five children—four sons and a daughter—between 1842 and 1853. All five lived at least to adulthood.
From 1878 until his death, Fowler enjoyed extensive travel despite bouts of ill health and the deaths of his wife, a daughter-in-law, and grandson within less than two years. He spent the summer of 1878 in western Europe
with his wife; daughter, Clara; and son, William. (His youngest son, Edward “Ned” Cilley Fowler, appears to have become estranged from the family.) After the death of his wife, he seems to have travelled alone, spending several months in Florida
before returning to Europe for a last visit. In 1884, he travelled to California
, visiting Santa Barbara
, Monterey
, and San Francisco
. Asa Fowler died in San Rafael
, California April 26, 1885. His embalmed body was shipped home and buried in New Hampshire on May 9, 1885.
Fowler’s religious affiliation was Unitarian
, and he was active in that church. His political affiliations were, perhaps, emblematic of his times. His family of origin had belonged to the Democratic Party
, but his opposition to slavery led him to his abandon the party for nearly thirty years. From 1846 to 1856, he belonged to the Free Soil Party which was largely made up of ex-democrats and was also called the Independent Democratic Party. In 1856, he became a republican
and remained one until 1875, near the end of Reconstruction, when he once again became a democrat.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
politician, lawyer and jurist. He served as a justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court from August 1, 1855 until February 1, 1861 and in the New Hampshire House of Representatives
New Hampshire House of Representatives
The New Hampshire House of Representatives is the lower house in the New Hampshire General Court. The House of Representatives consists of 400 members coming from 103 districts across the state, created from divisions of the state's counties. On average, each legislator represents about 3,300...
1845, 1847, 1848 and 1871 to 1872. In 1872 he was Speaker of the House. During all other years in the House, he served on the judiciary committee. He was nominated for governor of New Hampshire by the Free Soil Party
Free Soil Party
The Free Soil Party was a short-lived political party in the United States active in the 1848 and 1852 presidential elections, and in some state elections. It was a third party and a single-issue party that largely appealed to and drew its greatest strength from New York State. The party leadership...
in 1855.
He was born in Pembroke
Pembroke, New Hampshire
Pembroke is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 7,115 at the 2010 census. Pembroke includes part of the village of Suncook. The center of population of New Hampshire is located in Pembroke.- History :...
, New Hampshire to Benjamin and Mehitable (Ladd) Fowler on February 23, 1811. From an early age, he was put to work on the family farm along with his ten siblings, but Asa contracted typhoid fever when he was fourteen and was thereafter unable to do anything other than light farm work. This proved to be a blessing in disguise because Asa was allowed to return to the education that he and his brothers and sisters had abandoned in order to work on the farm. After attending Blanchard Academy in Pembroke on a part time basis (he still had to do light work on the farm), Asa was admitted as a sophomore to Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
where he was Phi Beta Kappa and graduated in 1833. After briefly working as a schoolmaster in Topsfield
Topsfield, Massachusetts
Topsfield is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,085 at the 2010 census.Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Topsfield.-Colonial period:...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Fowler went to work for James Sullivan, Esq. in Pembroke where he began the study of law. In 1834, he moved to Concord
Concord, New Hampshire
The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....
, New Hampshire where he continued to study law in the office of Charles H. Peaslee. At the same time, he worked as a feelance journalist and co-edited a literary gazette. In 1835, Fowler was elected clerk of the New Hampshire State Senate, which office he held for five years.
Admitted to the bar in February 1837, Fowler was in practice by himself until September 1838 when he formed a partnership with Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce was the 14th President of the United States and is the only President from New Hampshire. Pierce was a Democrat and a "doughface" who served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. Pierce took part in the Mexican-American War and became a brigadier general in the Army...
, the future president of the United States. This partnership continued until April 1845. Other legal colleagues included John Y. Mugridge from 1854 to 1855 and William E. Chandler
William E. Chandler
William Eaton Chandler was a lawyer who served as United States Secretary of the Navy and as a U.S. Senator from New Hampshire.-Early life:...
from 1861 to 1864. Fowler retired from the practice of law in 1877.
He was a U.S. Commissioner for the State of New Hampshire from 1846 until his death; in February 1861, he was a delegate to the Peace Congress
Peace conference of 1861
The Peace Conference of 1861 was a meeting of more than 100 of the leading politicians of the antebellum United States held in Washington, D.C., in February 1861 that was meant to prevent what ultimately became the Civil War. The success of President Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party in the...
held in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, which sought in vain to prevent the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
; and he was the solicitor of Merrimack County, New Hampshire from 1861 to 1865. Following his departure from the last office, he served on a three-man commission charged with the revision of New Hampshire’s laws, and he shepherded through the legislature the resulting general statutes, which were approved in 1867. In his community, Fowler took a keen interest in public libraries and schools, and he served on the Board of Education in Concord.
Fowler also served as director of a railroad and two banks, additionally serving as president of the railroad and one of the banks. He is said to have resigned as president and director of the First National Bank when “he lost confidence in the cashier.” (Did this mean that Fowler believed the head cashier to be shady or incompetent, but no one else on the board was willing to fire him??)
On July 13, 1837, Fowler married Mary Dole Cilley Knox (1815-1882). They had five children—four sons and a daughter—between 1842 and 1853. All five lived at least to adulthood.
From 1878 until his death, Fowler enjoyed extensive travel despite bouts of ill health and the deaths of his wife, a daughter-in-law, and grandson within less than two years. He spent the summer of 1878 in western Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
with his wife; daughter, Clara; and son, William. (His youngest son, Edward “Ned” Cilley Fowler, appears to have become estranged from the family.) After the death of his wife, he seems to have travelled alone, spending several months in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
before returning to Europe for a last visit. In 1884, he travelled to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, visiting Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, Monterey
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
, and San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. Asa Fowler died in San Rafael
San Rafael, California
San Rafael is a city and the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area...
, California April 26, 1885. His embalmed body was shipped home and buried in New Hampshire on May 9, 1885.
Fowler’s religious affiliation was Unitarian
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
, and he was active in that church. His political affiliations were, perhaps, emblematic of his times. His family of origin had belonged to the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, but his opposition to slavery led him to his abandon the party for nearly thirty years. From 1846 to 1856, he belonged to the Free Soil Party which was largely made up of ex-democrats and was also called the Independent Democratic Party. In 1856, he became a republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and remained one until 1875, near the end of Reconstruction, when he once again became a democrat.