Abraham B. Gardner

Abraham Brookins Gardner (September 2, 1819 – November 23, 1881) was a Vermont attorney and businessman who served as Lieutenant Governor for two one-year terms.

Gardner circa 1872. Black and white photo on gray card.

Early life and business career

Abraham Brookins Gardner was born in Pownal, Vermont, on September 2, 1819.[1] He was the son of David and Eunice (Wright) Gardner. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Union College in 1842, where he was a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity. Gardner then studied law and became an attorney and business owner in Bennington, Vermont, including serving as President of the Eagle Square Manufacturing Company and the Bennington and Rutland Railroad.[2][3][4][5]

Political career

A Republican, he was Bennington County Register of Probate from 1848 to 1857, State's Attorney from 1855 to 1857, and Vermont's Banking Commissioner from 1859 to 1860.[6][7]

From 1860 to 1865 Gardner served in the Vermont House of Representatives, and he was Speaker from 1863 to 1865.[8][9]

He was Lieutenant Governor from 1865 to 1867, and also served as a member of the Republican National Committee.[10][11][12]

Later life

Gardner served in the Vermont Senate from 1870 to 1872, and in 1872 was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor as the fusion candidate of Democrats and Liberal Republican backers of Horace Greeley for President. Later in the 1870s he served as a member of the Bennington Battle Monument Commission.[13][14]

Death and burial

Gardner died in Bennington on November 23, 1881.[15][16] He was buried in Old Bennington Cemetery.[17]

Other

His first name sometimes appears in records as Abram and his middle name is sometimes written as "Brooks" or "Brookings". Several of Gardner's relatives shared the Abraham B. Gardner name, including one who lived from January 6, 1858, to January 2, 1914, and was a member of the Vermont House of Representatives.[18][19]

References

1. One Thousand men, published by Vermont Historical Society, 1915, page 236
2. Centennial Catalog: New York Alpha of the Phi Beta Kappa, Union College, published by the college, 1922, page 38
3. The Delta Upsilon Quinquennial Catalogue, published by the fraternity, 1884, page 195
4. Gazetteer and Business Directory of Rutland County, Vt., for 1881–82, by Hamilton Child, 1882, page 44
5. Historical Note, Eagle Square Manufacturing Company Records, Special Collections, Bailey/Howe Library, University of Vermont. Retrieved January 2, 2012
6. The Massachusetts Register, published by George Adams, Boston, page 217
7. Biographical Encyclopaedia of Vermont of the Nineteenth Century, published by Metropolitan Publishing and Engraving, Boston, pages 187 to 190
8. List of Speakers of the Vermont House of Representatives, published by Vermont Legislature, 2009
9. Journal of the Senate of the State of Vermont, published by Vermont General Assembly, 1863, page 13
10. History and Genealogy of the Jewetts of America, by Frederic Clarke Jewett, Volume 2, 1887, pages 738 to 739
11. General Election results, Vermont Lieutenant Governor, 1813–2011 Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, published by Vermont Secretary of State, State Archives and Records Administration, 2011, page 11
12. Proceedings of the First Three Republican National Conventions of 1856, 1860 and 1864, published by Charles W. Johnson, Minneapolis, 1893, page 242
13. The Star That Set: The Vermont Republican Party, 1854–1974, by Samuel B. Hand, 2003, page 41
14. Record, History, and Description of the Bennington Battle Monument, published by C. A. Pierce, Bennington, 1887, page 12
15. "Abraham B. Gardner: Death of a Distinguished Vermonter". Windham County Reformer. Brattleboro, VT. November 25, 1881. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
16. Necrology entry, Abraham B. Gardner, 1882 Annual Meeting Report, American Bar Association, 1883, page 164
17. Bennington, Vermont Cemetery Inscriptions, Lynne M. Cassano, 1999. Retrieved January 2, 2012
18. Men of Vermont: An Illustrated Biographical History of Vermonters and Sons of Vermont, compiled by Jacob G. Ullery, 1894, pages 153 to 154
19. Vermont Death Records, 1909–2008, Record for Abraham B. Gardner (1858–1914). Retrieved January 2, 2012