William Gaston | |
|---|---|
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| 29th Governor of Massachusetts | |
| In office January 7, 1875 – January 6, 1876 | |
| Lieutenant | Horatio G. Knight |
| Preceded by | Thomas Talbot (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Alexander H. Rice |
| Mayor of Boston | |
| In office 1871–1872 | |
| Preceded by | Nathaniel B. Shurtleff |
| Succeeded by | Henry L. Pierce |
| 8th Mayor of Roxbury, Massachusetts | |
| In office 1861–1862 | |
| Preceded by | Theodore Otis |
| Succeeded by | George Lewis |
| Member of the Massachusetts State Senate[1] | |
| In office 1868–1868 | |
| Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives[1] | |
| In office 1856–1856 | |
| In office 1853–1854 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 3, 1820 Killingly, Connecticut |
| Died | January 19, 1894 (aged 73) Boston, Massachusetts |
| Political party | Whig Democratic |
| Alma mater | Brown University |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Signature | &sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:William_Gaston_signature.png){kind=small} |
William Gaston (October 3, 1820 – January 19, 1894) was a lawyer and politician from Massachusetts. A Democrat, he was the first member of that party to serve as Governor of Massachusetts (1875–1876) after the American Civil War. He was a successful trial lawyer and politically conservative Democrat, who won election as governor after his opponent, Thomas Talbot, vetoed legislation to relax alcohol controls.
Born in Connecticut, Gaston was educated at Brown University, where he helped establish the second chapter of Delta Phi in 1838. Gaston launched a successful law practice in Roxbury before becoming involved in local politics. In the 1860s, he served as mayor of Roxbury, and afterward promoted its annexation to Boston (completed in 1868). He then later served as Boston mayor, during a period which included the Great Boston Fire of 1872.