Compiled by Russell Bastedo
State Curator
1998

James A. Weston (1871-1872; 1874-1875). Manchester civil engineer; entered Manchester politics in 1861.

James Weston (1827-1895) was born in Manchester. His father was a farmer, town officer and state legislator, but Weston was a latecomer to state politics, not getting involved until age 39 (1861).

Weston was educated in a district school and studied engineering at Manchester and Piscataquog academies. He joined the Concord Railroad as an assistant civil engineer at age 19 (1846). Within three years he had become chief engineer for the railroad and he lived in Concord (1849/56). He subsequently returned to Manchester to manage several railroads and to be engineer for the City of Manchester Waterworks. He was elected (Democratic Party) mayor of Manchester (1861, 1867, 1869/70, 1874); in 1871 he won the Democrats' nomination for governor. A close popular election threw the decision into the legislature, where Weston won.

Weston's first term (1871/2) saw gridlock and little accomplished because Weston was a Democrat and the legislature was Republican. He lost the next two elections (to Ezekiel Straw, a Republican), but won a second term in 1874. Again, the close popular vote threw the election into the legislature and again the legislature chose Weston to be governor.

In 1874 the legislature and the governor were Democrats-the first time this had happened in twenty years. The Democrats set to work with a vengeance to right twenty years of wrongs. Districts were gerrymandered. Republicans were replaced in patronage jobs by Democrats. The Democrats took over the appointment of judges. At the same time the legislature responded to business interests as the Republicans had: the legislature sanctioned the merger of the Nashua & Lowell and Boston & Lowell railroads, a merger which evolved into the Boston & Maine transportation network; and they failed to enact a liquor licensing system, an important part of their campaign platform.

Weston retired to his banking and other financial enterprises. He served as president of Merchants National Bank, was a director of the Manchester Horse Railway, and a vice president of NH Fire Insurance. He was also an active Mason.

Location: State House, Second Floor
Portrait by U.D. Tenney, 1876; Presented by Gov. Weston