| Aaron Homer Byington | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Connecticut Senate from the 12th District | |
| In office 1861–1863 | |
| Preceded by | Julius Curtis |
| Succeeded by | Morgan Morgans |
| Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from Norwalk | |
| In office 1858–1860Serving with Daniel K. Nash, William T. Craw | |
| Preceded by | Josiah Carter, William T. Craw |
| Succeeded by | William T. Craw, Samuel E. Olmstead |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1826-07-26)July 26, 1826 Herkimer, New York |
| Died | December 29, 1910(1910-12-29) (aged 84) Flushing, Queens, New York |
| Resting place | Riverside Cemetery, Norwalk, Connecticut |
| Political party | Republican, Union Party |
| Spouse | Harriet Sophia Richmond (m. November 8, 1849) |
| Children | William Homer Byington, George Richmond Byington, and Stuart Woodford Byington, Henry Sumpter Byington (d. 1887), Harriet Eloise Byington (d. in infancy) |
| Residence(s) | Norwalk, Connecticut |
| Alma mater | Amos Smith Collegiate School |
| Occupation | Newspaper editor |
Aaron Homer Byington (July 23, 1826 – December 29, 1910) was the U.S. Consul in Naples from 1897 to 1907. He was a newspaper publisher and editor. He also represented Norwalk in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1858 to 1860, and was a member of the Connecticut Senate representing the 12th District from 1861 to 1863.
He was born in Herkimer, New York, on July 23, 1826, to Aaron Byington and Sarah Waterbury.
Career
Upon completion of his studies, he worked in a minor position at the Norwalk Gazette. When the New Haven Morning Chronicle began publication with Thomas G. Woodward as editor, Byington became business manager. He remained in this capacity until 1848, when he bought the Norwalk Gazette. In the Gazette, Byington editorialized for giving blacks the vote, a distinctly minority position at the time.
At the outbreak of the American Civil War, and before regiments of Northern troops had arrived to defend Washington, there was a report of a plot to burn the capital. On April 18, 1861, this report mobilized loyal citizens, including Byington, and former congressman Orris S. Ferry, also of Norwalk to form a militia. This militia was led by Cassius Marcellus Clay, and came to be known as the Cassius Clay Guard.
During the war, Byington worked as a lobbyist for Connecticut's arms manufacturers. Byington was a raconteur who eventually got to know Abraham Lincoln and swapped tall tales and jokes with him.
After the war Byington co-founded the New York Sun, along with Edmund C. Stedman and Charles A. Dana.
He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention from Connecticut in 1868 and an alternate in 1880.
In 1897, he suspended operations of the Norwalk Gazette when he was appointed by President William McKinley United States Consul in Naples. He served until 1907.
Byington died on December 29, 1910, in Flushing, New York.
References
- Roll of state officers and members of General Assembly of Connecticut, from 1776 to 1881
- ^ ArchiveGrid - The Byington family papers, 1835-1996
- ^ Political Graveyard
- ^ Norwalk Patch
| Connecticut State Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byJulius Curtis | Member of the Connecticut Senate from the 12th District 1861–1863 |
Succeeded byMorgan Morgans |
| Connecticut House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded byJosiah Carter, William T. Craw |
Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from Norwalk 1858–1860 With: Daniel K. Nash, William T. Craw |
Succeeded byWilliam T. Craw, Samuel E. Olmstead |
- 1826 births
- 1910 deaths
- American consuls
- American newspaper editors
- Burials in Riverside Cemetery (Norwalk, Connecticut)
- Republican Party Connecticut state senators
- Republican Party members of the Connecticut House of Representatives
- Politicians from Norwalk, Connecticut
- Writers from Norwalk, Connecticut
- People from Herkimer, New York
- American war correspondents
- 19th-century American newspaper publishers (people)
- 19th-century members of the Connecticut General Assembly