Newton Booth

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Newton Booth
11th Governor of California
In office 1871 – 1875
Lieutenant(s)	Romualdo Pacheco
Preceded by	Henry Haight
Succeeded by	Romualdo Pacheco
Born	December 30, 1825 Salem, Indiana
Died	July 14, 1892 Sacramento, California
Political party	Republican

Newton Booth (December 30, 1825 – July 14, 1892) was an American politician.

Born in Salem, Indiana, he attended the common schools. In 1841, his parents Beebe and Hannah Booth moved from Salem to Terre Haute, Indiana. Newton graduated from Asbury University, later renamed DePauw University, in nearby Greencastle, Indiana. He studied law in Terre Haute and was admitted to the bar in 1850. In the same year he moved to California, where he temporarily engaged in the wholesale grocery business at Sacramento. He made his fortune as a saloon keeper. He returned to Terre Haute in 1857 and engaged in the practice of law with future U.S. Congressman Harvey D. Scott until 1860, when he returned to Sacramento, and again engaged in mercantile pursuits. He was the uncle of author Booth Tarkington, son of his sister Elizabeth Booth, who was raised in Terre Haute.

Booth was elected to the California State Senate in 1862, serving in 1863, and was the 11th Governor of California from December 8, 1871 to February 27, 1875, when he resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.

Elected as an Anti-Monopolist, he served as a Senator from March 4, 1875, to March 3, 1881; he was not a candidate for reelection in 1880. During his time in the Senate he served as chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Manufacturers and the U.S. Senate Committee on Patents, both during the 45th Congress.

After serving in Congress, he returned to his wholesale mercantile business in Sacramento. He died there in 1892 and is buried in the City Cemetery.

This article incorporates facts obtained from the public domain Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

Preceded by Henry Huntly Haight	Governors of California 1871–1875	Succeeded by Romualdo Pacheco
Preceded by John S. Hager	United States Senator (Class 1) from California 1875–1881 Served alongside: Aaron A. Sargent, James T. Farley	Succeeded by John F. Miller

v • d • e Governors of California
Burnett • McDougall • Bigler • J. Johnson • Weller • Latham • Downey • Stanford • Low • Haight • Booth • Pacheco • Irwin • Perkins • Stoneman • Bartlett • Waterman • Markham • Budd • Gage • Pardee • Gillett • H. Johnson • Stephens • Richardson • Young • Rolph • Merriam • Olson • Warren • Knight • P. Brown • Reagan • J. Brown • Deukmejian • Wilson • Davis • Schwarzenegger