James A. Weston

James Adams Weston ( born August 27, 1827 in Manchester, New Hampshire; † May 8, 1895 ) was an American politician and 1871-1872 and 1874-1875 Governor of the State of New Hampshire.

Early years

James Weston attended the Manchester Academy and then the Piscataquog Academy, where he studied mechanical engineering. Since 1846 Weston worked for the Concord Railroad Railroad Company. Three years later, he was Chief Engineer on the Board of the Company. After his return to Manchester, he remained on the board of several railroad companies and helped build the water supply of this city.

Political career

James Weston was a member of the Democratic Party. Between 1861 and 1870 he was several times mayor of the city of Manchester. In 1871 he was elected governor of his state. He took up his new post on June 14, 1871. In the following year term until June 6, 1872, he was able to move as little governor. He had to deal with an opposition majority in the legislature. This Governor and Parliament itself blocked each other. The following two elections lost Weston then against the candidate of the Republican Party, Ezekiel A. Straw. As a result, in 1874 he was again mayor of Manchester.

In that year he was elected for the second time as governor of New Hampshire. In his second term, which began on June 3, 1874 and ended on June 10, 1875, the governor had a Democratic majority in the legislature. Now he followed the bad example of the previous Republican administrations, and called his party friends in important government or judicial offices. During this time there was also a merging of some railroad companies of the state. In his election campaign, the governor had promised to reform the law concerning the treatment of alcohol, but failed to materialize. By 1913, James Weston was the last governor of New Hampshire, who belonged to the Democratic Party.

Further CV

After the end of his tenure, Weston withdrew from politics. He devoted himself to his numerous business interests, including the railways, the insurance and the banking industry included. Governor Weston died in 1895. Together with his wife Anna S. Gilmore had five children.