William Gaston (Massachusetts)

Infobox Governor
name= William Gaston


imagesize= 150px
caption=
order=29th
office= Governor of Massachusetts
term_start= January 7, 1875
term_end= January 6, 1876
lieutenant= Horatio G. Knight
predecessor= Thomas Talbot (acting)
successor= Alexander H. Rice
order2=21st Mayor of Boston, Massachusetts
term_start2=1871
term_end2=1872
predecessor2=Nathaniel B. Shurtleff
successor2=Henry L. Pierce
order3=8th Mayor of Roxbury, Massachusetts
term_start3=1861
term_end3=1862
predecessor3=Theodore Otis
successor3=George Lewis
order4=Member of the Common Council
Ward 3 [citation |Printed by Order of the City Council |year=1909 |title=A Catalogue of the City Councils of Boston, 1822-1908, Roxbury, 1846-1867, Charlestown 1847-1873 and of The Selectmen of Boston, 1634-1822 also of Various Other Town and Municipal officers | pages = 329-331. |publisher=City of Boston Printing Department |location=Boston, MA |date=1909]
Roxbury, Massachusetts
term_start4=1849
term_end4=1853
predecessor4=William G. Eaton
successor4=
order5=4th President of the Common Council [citation |Printed by Order of the City Council |year=1909 |title=A Catalogue of the City Councils of Boston, 1822-1908, Roxbury, 1846-1867, Charlestown 1847-1873 and of The Selectmen of Boston, 1634-1822 also of Various Other Town and Municipal officers | pages = 329-331. |publisher=City of Boston Printing Department
location=Boston, MA |date=1909]
Roxbury Massachusetts
term_start5=1849
term_end5=1853
predecessor5=William A. Crafts
successor5=James M. Keith
birth_date= October 31820
birth_place= Killingly, Connecticut
death_date= 1894
death_place=
spouse=
alma_mater=Brown University
religion=
profession= Lawyer
party= Democrat
footnotes=

William Gaston (1820-1894) was Governor of Massachusetts in 1875-1876.

William Gaston had established a successful legal practice in the City of Roxbury, Massachusetts before entering politics. He served as a Representative in the State Legislature (1853-1854), as Roxbury's City Solicitor (1856-60), and as its Mayor (1861 and 1862). He resumed his private practice of law until 1868, when he served in the Massachusetts Senate for a year.

The City of Boston annexed Roxbury in 1868, and in 1871, Gaston was elected Mayor of Boston. Running for Governor as a Democrat, Gaston defeated incumbent Thomas Talbot who had supported the continuance of statewide prohibition by his veto. Gaston promoted a law repealing the Commonwealth's prohibition law, leaving such restrictions to the determination of localities. Governor Gaston was defeated in his reelection bid by Alexander Rice. Gaston returned to his extremely successful legal practice, gaining renown as a trial attorney.

Gaston and his wife Louisa Augusta (Beecher) were the parents of William Alexander Gaston (1859-1927), who ran for governor of Massachusetts in 1902 and 1903 but lost.

References

Bibliography

*A Catalogue of the City Councils of Boston, 1822-1908, Roxbury, 1846-1867, Charlestown 1847-1873 and of The Selectmen of Boston, 1634-1822 also of Various Other Town and Municipal officers, Boston, MA: City of Boston Printing Department, (1909) pp. 329-331.

ource

* [http://www.mass.gov/statehouse/massgovs/wgaston.htm Official Commonwealth of Massachusetts Governor Biography]