Governor Samuel Whitney Hale

SAMUEL W. HALE, the forty-eighth governor of New Hampshire, was born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts on April 2, 1823. His education was attained in the public schools of his native state. He established a successful career as a businessman, with interests in the banking, manufacturing, and railroad construction fields. Hale first entered politics as a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, a position he held from 1866 to 1867. He also was a member of the Governor’s Council from 1869 to 1870, and was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1880. Hale next secured the Republican gubernatorial nomination, and was elected governor by a popular vote in the 1883 general election. During his tenure, railroad reform measures were sanctioned. After completing his term, Hale retired from political life. He stayed active, returning to his various business interests. Governor Samuel W. Hale passed away on October 16, 1891, and was buried in the Greenlawn Cemetery in Keene, New Hampshire.