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Josiah Begole | |
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| 19th Governor of Michigan | |
| In office January 1, 1883 – January 1, 1885 | |
| Lieutenant | Moreau S. Crosby |
| Preceded by | David Jerome |
| Succeeded by | Russell A. Alger |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMichigan's6th district | |
| In office March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875 | |
| Preceded by | Jabez G. Sutherland |
| Succeeded by | George H. Durand |
| Member of theMichigan Senate from the23rd district | |
| In office 1870–1871 | |
| Preceded by | Thaddeus G. Smith |
| Succeeded by | Ira H. Butterfield |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 20, 1815 Groveland, New York |
| Died | June 5, 1896 (aged 81) Flint, Michigan |
| Political party | Republican;Democrat |
| Spouse | Harriet A. Miles |
Josiah Williams Begole (January 20, 1815 – June 5, 1896) was an American politician serving as aU.S. Representative from 1873 to 1875 and the 19thgovernor of Michigan from 1883 to 1885.
Begole was born inGroveland, New York. His ancestors were FrenchHuguenots who emigrated to the United States in the last quarter of the 18th century to escape religious persecution and settled inHagerstown, Maryland. Josiah's father, William (1788–1862) was born there and moved toLivingston County, New York in 1802. William served in theWar of 1812 and married the daughter of anAmerican Revolutionary War veteran. Three of Williams sons, including Josiah, the eldest, eventually moved toGenesee County, Michigan. He attended the public schools inMount Morris and Temple Hill Academy inGeneseo, New York.
Begole moved toFlint, Michigan in August 1836 and taught school in 1837 and 1838. In the spring of 1839, he married Harriet A. Miles. He engaged in agricultural pursuits from 1839 to 1856 and was school inspector, justice of the peace andtownship treasurer. Being an anti-slavery man, he became a member of theRepublican party at its organization. He was county treasurer 1856–1864. He was briefly engaged in the lumber business in 1863. His eldest son was killed during theAmerican Civil War nearAtlanta, Georgia in 1864, and was the greatest sorrow of his life.
He was a member of theMichigan Senate in 1870 and 1871, and a member of the FlintCity Council for three years. During that time, he served on the Committees of Finance and Railroads, and was Chairman of the Committee on the Institute for the Deaf and Dumb and Blind. He was a delegate to theRepublican National Convention atPhiladelphia in 1872 to re-nominate U.S. PresidentUlysses S. Grant and to nominateHenry Wilson as the newVice President.
Begole was elected as a Republican fromMichigan's 6th congressional district to theUnited States House of Representatives for the43rd Congress, serving from March 4, 1873, to March 3, 1875. During that time, he was a member of the Committee on Agricultural and Public Expenditures. He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1874 and resumed the lumber business, Begole Fox & Co. He later engaged in the manufacture of wagons foundingFlint Wagon Works and also engaged in banking.
In 1882, Begole was gubernatorial candidate of theGreenback andDemocratic parties, defeating the Republican incumbentDavid Jerome by over 7,000 votes. He served one term from 1883 to 1885. As a former Republican who ousted a Republican incumbent, Begole faced many obstacles with a Republican-dominated legislature. As a result, the establishment of the state bureau of labor statistics was one of the few acts that was approved. He ran for re-election in 1884, but was defeated by RepublicanRussell Alger, after which he resumed his former business activities.
He was an early activist forwomen's suffrage, and in 1884 Begole became vice president of the first statewide suffrage organization, the Michigan Equal Suffrage Association.
Begole died at the age of eighty-one in Flint and is interred inGlenwood Cemetery there.
| Party political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Frederick M. Holloway | Democratic nominee for Governor of Michigan 1882,1884 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | United States Representative for the 6th Congressional District of Michigan 1873 – 1875 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Michigan 1883–1885 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
