John Nesmith
| John Nesmith | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 25th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts | |
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In office 1862–1862 |
|
| Governor | John Albion Andrew |
| Preceded by | John Z. Goodrich |
| Succeeded by | Joel Hayden |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 3, 1793 Windham, New Hampshire |
| Died | October 15, 1869 (aged 76) |
| Political party | Republican |
John Nesmith (August 3, 1793 in Windham, New Hampshire – October 15, 1869) was an American politician who served as the 25th Lieutenant Governor for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1862.
Historic Homes and Places and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Middlesex County, Mass., Vol 3 writes:
Till his twenty-ninth year he was intimately connected with the history of his native town and mingled actively in its affairs. He was prominent in politics early in life; was town treasurer in 1819 and 1820 and representative to the general court in 1821. In 1822 he removed to Derry, formerly a part of the town of Londonderry. He commenced life a comparatively poor boy and had only the education of the common schools of his day. At the age of fourteen he became clerk in the general store formerly conducted by his father and served an apprenticeship of five years. When he was nineteen years old he and his elder brother Thomas started in business on their own account in a general store at Windham. They prospered and as soon as their cash capital and enlarged credit would warrant the adventure they removed to New York City and built up a large and highly profitable trade. In 1831, foreseeing the future importance of Lowell, Massachusetts, as a manufacturing centre, the brothers settled in that city. Lowell is not far from their native town; doubtless their love for the old New Hampshire hills influenced their selection of a location as well as their personal knowledge of the town and its vast possibilities as a manufacturing place. They invested largely in real estate and identified themselves with every movement and measure calculated to develop the town or increase its prosperity. They were leaders in enterprise and progress, shrewd and farsighted men of affairs. John Nesmith became interested in the manufacture of blankets, flannels, printing cloths, sheetings and other textile fabrics and that became eventually his principal vocation. He became agent or part owner in mills in Lowell, Dracut, Chelmsford, Hooksct and other places, and managed those enterprises with almost unvarying and uninterrupted success. He was also a large stockholder in the Merrimack Woolen Mills Company. Appreciating more than any other man the natural advantages of the water powers which have made Lowell what she is, he bethought himself of securing the supply of water in Winnepesaukee and Squam lakes in New Hampshire as reservoirs for the Lowell Mills in dry seasons and letting the water into the Merrimac River when needed by artificial canals. This brilliant conception was at first scouted by the manufacturers along the river, but Mr. Nesmith, satisfied that they would eventually require the water, bought the right to use both these lakes for the purpose and before long the manufacturers had to buy of him at a handsome profit.
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