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George Washington Bonaparte Towns | |
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| 39th Governor of Georgia | |
| In office November 3, 1847 – November 5, 1851 | |
| Preceded by | George W. Crawford |
| Succeeded by | Howell Cobb |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromGeorgia's at-large congressional district | |
| In office March 4, 1835 – September 1, 1836 | |
| Preceded by | Augustin S. Clayton |
| Succeeded by | Julius C. Alford |
| In office March 4, 1837 – March 4, 1839 | |
| Preceded by | Julius C. Alford |
| Succeeded by | Thomas B. King |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromGeorgia's 3rd congressional district | |
| In office January 5, 1846 – March 4, 1847 | |
| Preceded by | Vacant (Initial Rep-ElectWashington Poe never took office) |
| Succeeded by | John W. Jones |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1801-05-04)May 4, 1801 Wilkes County, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | July 15, 1854(1854-07-15) (aged 53) Macon, Georgia, U.S. |
| Signature | .png) |
George Washington Bonaparte Towns (May 4, 1801 – July 15, 1854) was a United States lawyer, legislator, and politician. He served in theUnited States House of Representatives on three occasions and was the39th Governor of Georgia from 1847 to 1851.
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Towns was born inWilkes County, Georgia to Margaret George Hardwick and John Towns in 1801. His parents were Virginians who had moved to Georgia and settled in Wilkes County.
Shortly after his birth, the Towns family moved throughout Georgia, where he received a small preparatory education. He then began to study medicine inEatonton, but after his studies were interrupted by an injury, he moved toMontgomery, Alabama, which had recently joined the Union. There, he studied law and, in 1824 was admitted to the Montgomery bar.
As time went by, Towns continued to gain prominence and in 1826 acquired theAlabama Journal newspaper.[citation needed] During that same year he married his first wife, Margaret Jane Campbell, whose poor health led to her death several days after the marriage ceremony. Following the death of his wife, Towns moved back to Georgia and settled in Talbot County.
In 1828, Towns became one of the original town commissioners ofTalbotton, where he also established a law office. During this period Towns served as colonel in the 65th Regiment of the Georgia Militia.[citation needed]
Towns began his 22-year political career in 1829 as a strongUnionist and opponent ofnullification in theGeorgia House of Representatives andGeorgia Senate.
He was subsequently elected to theUnited States House of Representatives on three occasions. He served a partial term in the House from 1835 to 1836 and a full term from 1837 to 1839. He served a third term from 1846 to 1847.
He served as the39th Governor of Georgia from 1847 to 1851.[1] On September 23, 1850, Towns asked theGeneral Assembly to allow a special election to send delegates to a state convention to pass judgment on theCompromise of 1850.[2]
Towns’ wife, Mary Winston Jones Towns, was the daughter ofJohn Winston Jones, who served asSpeaker of the U.S. House from 1843 to 1845. Towns and Jones served concurrently in the House for a time.
Towns died in Macon, Georgia on July 15, 1854, and is interred at theRose Hill Cemetery in that town.[3]
Towns County, Georgia is named in his honor.[4]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Georgia 1847,1849 | Vacant Title next held by Herschel Vespasian Johnson |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromGeorgia's at-large congressional district March 4, 1835 – September 1, 1836 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromGeorgia's at-large congressional district March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1839 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by At Large districts | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromGeorgia's 3rd congressional district January 5, 1846 – March 3, 1847 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Georgia 1847–1851 | Succeeded by |
| Public Buildings and Grounds (1837–1947) |  | |
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| Rivers and Harbors (1883–1947) | ||
| Roads (1913–1947) | ||
| Flood Control (1916–1947) | ||
| Transportation and Infrastructure* (1947–) | ||
| Note | * Alternately namedPublic Works in 80th through 93rd Congresses andPublic Works and Transportation in 94th through 103rd Congresses. | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
