Henry Alexander Scammell Dearborn
Encyclopedia
Henry Alexander Scammell Dearborn (March 3, 1783, Exeter, New Hampshire
– July 29, 1851, Portland, Maine
) was an American
lawyer, author, statesman
and soldier. Dearborn was also the first President of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society
, a member of the Society of the Cincinnati
, and the author of many books.
by his second wife and named for his father's friend Alexander Scammell
.
Dearborn was married to Hannah Swett Lee daughter of Colonel William Raymond Lee 1745-1824 of Massachusetts.
Dearborn attended the common schools and went to Williams College
for two years and then graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1803.
and Portland, Maine
(which was then a part of Massachusetts).
In 1808 he oversaw the construction of Fort Preble
and Fort Scammel in Portland Harbor. He replaced his father as the collector of customs in Boston
from 1812 to 1829 and served as brigadier general commanding the Volunteers in the defenses of Boston Harbor during the War of 1812.
in 1830. He was elected as an Anti-Jacksonian U.S. Representative from Massachusetts 10th District to the Twenty-second Congress (1831–1833). He was defeated running for reelection in 1832.
In 1848, while he was Mayor of Roxbury, Massachusetts, Dearborn designed and founded the Forest Hills Cemetery. He also designed Mount Auburn Cemetery
in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the first rural landscaped cemetery in the nation.
and is interred in Forest Hills Cemetery in Roxbury, Massachusetts
.
with curtained sides, was named after him (he maintained such a carriage).
Dearborn's nephew was Civil War US General William Raymond Lee 1807-1891.
Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The town's population was 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood...
– July 29, 1851, Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer, author, statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
and soldier. Dearborn was also the first President of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society
Massachusetts Horticultural Society
The Massachusetts Horticultural Society, sometimes abbreviated to MassHort, is an American horticultural society based in Massachusetts. It describes itself as the oldest, formally-organized horticultural institution in the United States...
, a member of the Society of the Cincinnati
Society of the Cincinnati
The Society of the Cincinnati is a historical organization with branches in the United States and France founded in 1783 to preserve the ideals and fellowship of the American Revolutionary War officers and to pressure the government to honor pledges it had made to officers who fought for American...
, and the author of many books.
Early life
Dearborn was the son of Henry DearbornHenry Dearborn
Henry Dearborn was an American physician, a statesman and a veteran of both the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Born to Simon Dearborn and Sarah Marston in North Hampton, New Hampshire, he spent much of his youth in Epping, where he attended public schools...
by his second wife and named for his father's friend Alexander Scammell
Alexander Scammell
Alexander Scammell 1744 - October 6, 1781) was a Harvard educated attorney and an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War...
.
Dearborn was married to Hannah Swett Lee daughter of Colonel William Raymond Lee 1745-1824 of Massachusetts.
Dearborn attended the common schools and went to Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
for two years and then graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1803.
Early career
Dearborn studied law, was admitted to the bar and practiced in Salem, MassachusettsSalem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
and Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
(which was then a part of Massachusetts).
In 1808 he oversaw the construction of Fort Preble
Fort Preble
Fort Preble is a military fort in South Portland, Maine, United States. It is now on the campus of Southern Maine Community College.Henry A. S. Dearborn built this second-system fortification as an "embargo fort" in 1808 and named it in honor of Commodore Edward Preble...
and Fort Scammel in Portland Harbor. He replaced his father as the collector of customs in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
from 1812 to 1829 and served as brigadier general commanding the Volunteers in the defenses of Boston Harbor during the War of 1812.
Political career
Dearborn was a delegate to the Massachusetts state constitutional convention in 1820. He was a member of the Massachusetts state house of representatives in 1829 and a member of the Massachusetts SenateMassachusetts Senate
The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the state...
in 1830. He was elected as an Anti-Jacksonian U.S. Representative from Massachusetts 10th District to the Twenty-second Congress (1831–1833). He was defeated running for reelection in 1832.
In 1848, while he was Mayor of Roxbury, Massachusetts, Dearborn designed and founded the Forest Hills Cemetery. He also designed Mount Auburn Cemetery
Mount Auburn Cemetery
Mount Auburn Cemetery was founded in 1831 as "America's first garden cemetery", or the first "rural cemetery", with classical monuments set in a rolling landscaped terrain...
in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the first rural landscaped cemetery in the nation.
Death and internment
Dearborn died in Portland, MainePortland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
and is interred in Forest Hills Cemetery in Roxbury, Massachusetts
Roxbury, Massachusetts
Roxbury is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was one of the first towns founded in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, and became a city in 1846 until annexed to Boston on January 5, 1868...
.
Legacy
The dearborn, a light four-wheeled carriageCarriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
with curtained sides, was named after him (he maintained such a carriage).
Dearborn's nephew was Civil War US General William Raymond Lee 1807-1891.