Governor Jonas Galusha

JONAS GALUSHA was born in Norwich, Connecticut. In 1775 he moved to Shaftsbury, Vermont, becoming a farmer and innkeeper and joining the local militia, in which he rose to the rank of Captain. From 1781 to 1787 he was Sheriff of Bennington County, a position in which he came to be known for preventing members of Shays’ Rebellion from making Vermont their base of operations. He was a State Councillor from 1793 to 1798 and from 1801 to 1805. He was also a judge of the county court from 1795 to 1797 and again from 1800 to 1806. He was elected for governor annually from 1809 until 1813, when the people failed to elect a governor and Martin Chittenden was chosen by the state legislature. In 1814 the decision was again up to the legislature and Chittenden was once more selected. But in 1815 Galusha was elected by popular vote and was reelected annually until 1820, when he retired. He died in Shaftsbury of a stroke.