Aaron H. Cragin

Aaron Harrison Cragin (February 3, 1821 – May 10, 1898) was an American politician and a United States Representative and Senator from New Hampshire.

Aaron Harrison Cragin
From 1859's McClees' Gallery of Photographic Portraits of the Senators, Representatives & Delegates of the Thirty-Fifth Congress
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Hampshire's 3rd district
In office March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1859
Preceded by	Harry Hibbard
Succeeded by	Thomas M. Edwards
United States Senator from New Hampshire
In office March 4, 1865 – March 3, 1877
Preceded by	John P. Hale
Succeeded by	Edward H. Rollins
Member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
In office 1852–1855
Personal details
Born	(1821-02-03)February 3, 1821 Weston, Vermont
Died	May 10, 1898(1898-05-10) (aged 77) Washington, D.C.
Resting place	School Street Cemetery Lebanon, Grafton County New Hampshire
Nationality	USA
Political party	American Party Republican
Spouse(s)	Isabella Tuller Cragin
Children	Harry Wilton Cragin
Parents	Aaron Cragin Sarah Whitney Cragin
Occupation	Lawyer Politician

Early life

Born in Weston, Vermont, Cragin completed preparatory studies, studied law, was admitted to the bar in Albany, New York in 1847 and commenced practice in Lebanon, New Hampshire.

Career

Cragin was a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives from 1852 to 1855.

Elected by the American Party to the Thirty-fourth Congress and as a Republican to the Thirty-fifth Congress, Cragin served from (March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1859).[1] While in the House of Representatives, he was chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of War (Thirty-fourth Congress).

Cragin resumed the practice of law and in 1859 was again a member of the State house of representatives. In 1860 he was a delegate to the Republican Convention in Chicago, and a delegate to the Philadelphia loyalists convention in 1866.[2] He was elected as a Republican to the United States Senate in 1864; was reelected in 1870, and served from March 4, 1865, to March 3, 1877.[3] While in the Senate he was chairman of the Committee on Engrossed Bills (Thirty-ninth Congress) and a member of the Committee to Audit and Control the Contingent Expense (Fortieth and Forty-first Congresses), the Committee on Naval Affairs (Forty-first and Forty-third Congresses), and the Committee on Railroads (Forty-third and Forty-fourth Congresses).[4]

Appointed by President Rutherford Hayes as one of the commissioners for the purchase of the Hot Springs Reservation in Arkansas, Cragin served as chairman from 1877 to 1879.[5]

Death

Cragin died in Washington, D.C. on May 10, 1898 (age 77 years, 96 days). He is interred at School Street Cemetery, Lebanon, New Hampshire.

Family life

Son of Aaron and Sarah Whitney, Cragin married Isabella Tuller and they had a son, Harry Wilton Cragin, who graduated from Yale University and was appointed third assistant in the United States Patent Office.[6]

References

1. Capace, Nancy. Encyclopedia of New Hampshire. North American Book Dist LLC, Jan 1, 2001 - New Hampshire. p. 398. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
2. Brown, John Howard. Lamb's Biographical Dictionary of the United States: Chubb-Erich. James H. Lamb Company, 1900 - United States. p. 224. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
3. Herringshaw, Thomas William (1909). Herringshaw's National Library of American Biography: Contains Thirty-five Thousand Biographies of the Acknowledged Leaders of Life and Thought of the United States; Illustrated with Three Thousand Vignette Portraits. American Publishers' Association, 1909 - United States. p. 136. Retrieved 11 July 2014. aaron h cragin herringshaw's.
4. The Tribune Almanac and Political Register. G. Dearborn., 1871 - Almanacs, American. 1871. p. 48. Retrieved 11 July 2014. aaron h cragin.
5. Vermont Historical Society (1921–1923). Proceedings of the Vermont Historical Society. The Society, 1921 - Vermont. pp. 95–96. Retrieved 11 July 2014. aaron harrison cragin new hampshire historical society.
6. Record for Twenty Years After Graduation. Yale University. Class of 1872. p. 28. Retrieved 11 July 2014.

External links

• United States Congress. "Aaron H. Cragin (id: C000852)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

U.S. Senate
Preceded by John P. Hale	U.S. senator (Class 2) from New Hampshire 1865–1877 Served alongside: Daniel Clark, George G. Fogg, James W. Patterson, Bainbridge Wadleigh	Succeeded by Edward H. Rollins
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Harry Hibbard	U.S. Representative for the 3rd District of New Hampshire 1855–1859	Succeeded by Thomas M. Edwards