Abraham B. Gardner

Abraham Brookins Gardner (September 2, 1819 – November 23, 1881) was a Vermont attorney and businessman who served as 25th lieutenant governor of Vermont from 1865 to 1867.

Abraham B. Gardner
Gardner circa 1872
25th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont
In office 1865–1867
Preceded by	Paul Dillingham
Succeeded by	Stephen Thomas
Member of the Vermont Senate from Bennington County
In office 1870–1872 Serving with William T. Horrobin
Preceded by	Martin J. Love, Franklin H. Orvis
Succeeded by	Mason S. Colburn, Charles E. Houghton
Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives
In office 1863–1865
Preceded by	J. Gregory Smith
Succeeded by	John Wolcott Stewart
Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from Bennington
In office 1860–1865
Preceded by	Elijah D. Hubbell
Succeeded by	Trenor W. Park
State's Attorney of Bennington County, Vermont
In office 1855–1857
Preceded by	Alexander M. Huling
Succeeded by	Nathaniel B. Hall
Personal details
Born	(1819-09-02)September 2, 1819 Pownal, Vermont, US
Died	November 23, 1881(1881-11-23) (aged 62) Bennington, Vermont, US
Resting place	Old Bennington Cemetery
Political party	Whig (before 1856) Republican (1856-1881)
Other political affiliations	Liberal Republican (1872)
Spouse(s)	Mary Jeannette Swift Gardner (b. 1849) Cynthia E Brown Gardner (m. 1857) Samantha Willmarth Gardner (m. 1875)
Children	3
Education	Union College
Profession	Attorney

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 Register of Probate for the Bennington District 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

Party political offices
Preceded by Paul Dillingham	Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Vermont 1865, 1866	Succeeded by Stephen Thomas
Preceded by Homer W. Heaton	Democratic nominee for Governor of Vermont 1872	Succeeded by W.H.H. Bingham
First	Liberal Republican nominee for Governor of Vermont 1872	Succeeded by None
Political offices
Preceded by Paul Dillingham	Lieutenant Governor of Vermont 1865–1867	Succeeded by Stephen Thomas
Preceded by J. Gregory Smith	Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives 1863–1865	Succeeded by John W. Stewart