Nahum J. Bachelder
Encyclopedia
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician from Andover, New Hampshire
Andover, New Hampshire
Andover is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,371 at the 2010 census. Andover includes the villages of Cilleyville, Potter Place, and East Andover, in addition to the town center...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Bachelder lived at and operated his family farm throughout his life, was a leader in the Grange, and served a single term as Governor of New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
.
He became politically active when he joined the Grange, a farmers' advocacy group, in 1877. Bachelder became Master of the local Grange for Merrimack County
Merrimack County, New Hampshire
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 136,225 people, 51,843 households, and 35,460 families residing in the county. The population density was 146 people per square mile . There were 56,244 housing units at an average density of 60 per square mile...
. He was appointed to New Hampshire's State Board of Agriculture, and served from 1887 until 1913, remaining in this post even through his two years as governor.
Bachelder was elected as the Master of the State Grange in 1891 and held the post until he resigned to become Governor in 1903. After his term as Governor of New Hampshire
Governor of New Hampshire
The Governor of the State of New Hampshire is the supreme executive magistrate of the U.S. state of New Hampshire.The governor is elected at the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along with bordering Vermont, to hold...
, he served as the Master of the National Grange. He died on his farm in Andover in 1934 and is buried in the Proctor Cemetery there.
Biography
Bachelder was an eighth-generation descendant of the Rev. Stephen BachilerStephen Bachiler
Stephen Bachiler was an English clergyman who was an early proponent of the separation of church and state in America.-Early life:...
, who settled at Hampton, New Hampshire
Hampton, New Hampshire
Hampton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 14,976 at the 2010 census. Located beside the Atlantic Ocean, Hampton is home to Hampton Beach, a summer tourist destination....
in 1632. Nahum was the oldest child of William A. and Adeline (Shaw) Bachelder. His boyhood was passed upon the family farm in Andover, and his early education was at Franklin Academy and the New Hampton Institute.
After a brief experience in teaching, Bachelder devoted himself to practical agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, gaining success as a market gardener and dairyman. In 1877 he joined Highland Grange at East Andover
East Andover, New Hampshire
East Andover is an unincorporated village in the town of Andover in Merrimack County, New Hampshire.The village is located on the east shore of Highland Lake, along New Hampshire Route 11 in the eastern portion of Andover. Route 11 runs east to Franklin and New Hampshire's Lakes Region, and runs...
and later became its Master. In 1883 he was chosen secretary of the state Grange and filled that position for eight years, being then promoted to the office of Master.
Bachelder served for two terms as a member of the executive committee of the National Grange and was also a national lecturer and served on the legislative committee.
In 1887 Bachelder was elected as successor to James O. Adams as Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture. He was also responsible for the office of Commissioner of Immigration, which was established in 1889 and later merged into the State Board of Agriculture. He was an official of the state Cattle Commission since its organization, the work of which included keeping the livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
of the state free from contagious diseases. He was secretary of the Grange State Fair at Tilton
Tilton, New Hampshire
Tilton is a town located on the Winnipesaukee River in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,567 at the 2010 census. It includes the village of Lochmere. Tilton is home to the Tilton School, a private preparatory school.-History:...
and, later, of the state fair at Concord
Concord, New Hampshire
The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....
.
Bachelder assisted Governor Frank W. Rollins
Frank W. Rollins
Frank West Rollins was an American lawyer, banker, and Republican politician from Concord, New Hampshire. His father, Edward H. Rollins, had represented New Hampshire in the United States Senate. Frank served New Hampshire in the state's Senate and as Governor...
in the establishment of Old Home Week
Old Home Week
Old Home Week is a practice that originated in the New England region of the United States similar to a holiday or festival. In its beginning in the 19th-20th century it involved a municipal effort to invite former residents of a village, town, or city - usually individuals who grew up in the...
s in New Hampshire.
Bachelder received the honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
of Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
from Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in 1891. He was a member of the University and Wonolancet clubs of Concord, the Derryfield Club of Manchester
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
, and of the Kearsarge lodge, A. F. and A. M. He attended the Congregational Church
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
.
He was married on June 30, 1887, to Mary A. Putney of Dunbarton
Dunbarton, New Hampshire
Dunbarton, is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,758 at the 2010 census.- History :Originally granted as Gorham's-town in 1735, and re-granted as Starkstown in 1748, the town was incorporated in 1765 as Dunbarton...
. They had two children, Ruth, born May 22, 1891, and Henry, born March 17, 1895. In addition to their farm estate at Andover they maintained a winter home in the city of Concord.