|
| Affiliation | Democratic |
 |
| Name | Asa Packer |
| Address |
Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania , United States |
| Email | None |
| Website | None |
| Born |
December 29, 1805 |
| Died |
May 17, 1879
(73 years) |
| Contributor | Thomas Walker |
| Last Modifed | Chronicler
Dec 29, 2022 06:16am |
| Tags |
|
| Info | Humble Beginnings
Asa Packer (1805-1879) was born into humble circumstances to Elisha and Desiree Packer on December 29, 1805. He came from a small family, having only four siblings - Lucy, Eldredge, Robert, and Eveline. As a youngster, Asa's education was limited to entering the tannery of Elisha Stonington. In 1822, at the age of seventeen, Asa left his home in Mystic, Connecticut, and set out on foot to Brooklyn, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania where he apprenticed
as a carpenter to his cousin, Edward Packer. In 1827, Asa traveled to New York seeking employment in his new trade, but to no avail. He returned to Susquehanna County within a year, settling in Springville Township.
On January 23, 1828, Asa married, having caught the eye of Sarah Minerva Blakslee (1807-1882), daughter to Zophar and Clarinda Whitmer Blakslee. The Packers celebrated their marriage among family and friends at a small country inn belonging to Sarah's sister in Dimock Four Corners, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. Together, Asa and Sarah rented and tilled a farm that belonged to Sarah's father. The crops proved to be so poor, and the markets were so distant, that by the end of four years, the newlyweds were just as poor as when they had first started.
Coming To Mauch Chunk
In the winter of 1832, hearing that men were needed to captain coal boats on the Lehigh Canal, Asa traveled to Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania. Once there, he made an engagement to hire out for the summer, and later, returned home to settle his affairs. In the spring of 1833, the Packer Family set out for Mauch Chunk. As the years passed, Asa became a commander of canal boats, and later, became a contractor, building locks on the canal from Mauch Chunk to White Haven, Pa. In 1839, Asa established large contracts to build locks on the upper Lehigh River, which he finished with large profits. In 1840, in partnership with his brother, Robert, Asa established large contracts from Stockton and Stevens of New Jersey to build boats on the Schuylkill River for the direct shipment of coal to New York. By 1852, Asa was already a wealthy man.
The Lehigh Valley Railroad
The canal system had its drawbacks, especially during the winter months. Coal transport was limited due to the harsh winters. A faster method of transportation was needed. In October of 1851, risking financial ruin, Asa purchased nearly all the controlling stock and interest that was subscribed for the unfinished Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill, and Susquehanna Railroad. By November of 1852, he expanded the building of the railroad from Mauch Chunk to Easton, Pennsylvania, connecting there to the New Jersey and Belvidere Railroads, thereby furnishing outlets to New York and Philadelphia. Asa held that in exchange for the work, he was to receive the company's stocks and bonds. In May of 1855, a cab of the locomotive, Great Wall, was mounted in South Easton, and was driven four miles up the line. In September of 1855, the first trainload of coal was transported from Mauch Chunk to Easton along the Black Diamond Route, the Lehigh Valley Railroad.
A New Homestead
On October 16, 1861, the Packers, now in their fifties, settled in the home that can still be seen today. The Italianate Villa, consisting of 18 rooms, 11,000 square feet of living space, and topped by a central cupola or belvedere, was designed by Philadelphia architect Samuel Sloan. The Mansion took nearly two years to be built, and the cost of construction was $14,000 dollars, the equivalent of $2.3 million dollars today! One unique feature of the construction was that the home was built over a cast iron frame, one of Asa's recommendations.
Future Generations
At the end of the Civil War, Asa prepared the expansion of railroad operations by making the most of postwar prosperity by establishing an educational institution "to help fill a national need for enlightened leadership" (Yates 4). Asa always respected a well-rounded education. It was something he never had himself, but deemed important for a prosperous future. In 1865, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania became the home of Lehigh University. A deeply religious and reverent man, Asa believed the university should serve "an intellectual and moral purpose, and that the country could be no stronger than the faith of its leaders" (Yates 4). He endowed to this institution fifty-six acres of land and $500,000 in railroad stock. In 1878, a group of alumni requested that Lehigh University become strictly an engineering school, believing that literature and history were not relevant, and that the teaching of such subjects was not necessary. Asa listened attentively to which his answer was quite simply no.
Political Aspirations
In 1841, Asa turned his attention to politics, having been elected to the Pennsylvania State Legislature. His only motion while serving was that a new county be formed (Carbon County, March 1843), and that Mauch Chunk be named the county seat. Until that time, Mauch Chunk and the surrounding municipalities were part of Northampton and Monroe Counties. His only motion was a success. As a Democrat, Asa served as an Associate Judge of Carbon County under Governor David R. Porter, and as a two-term Congressman under President Franklin Pierce (1853-1857). In 1868, Asa was a nominee for the Democratic Nomination for the Presidency of the United States. The following year, in 1869, Asa ran for the Pennsylvania Governorship. One lesson that Asa learned very quickly was: Never oppose a Civil War General. General Ulysses S. Grant became president in 1868, and Asa was defeated by General John W. Geary by only 4,596 votes, one of the closest races in Pennsylvania history for the Governorship.
A Golden Anniversary
On January 23, 1878, Asa and Sarah celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, one of the social highlights of the century. To honor the occasion, Asa and Sarah renovated their home at a cost of $85,000 dollars. The Packers received 1,500 guests to mark the occasion! The Packers were married for fifty-one and a half years, but their life together was marked by tragedy. Daughters Catherine, Malvina, and Gertrude all passed away before the age of two. Lucy Eveline Packer Linderman (1832-1873) and Robert Asa Packer (1842-1883) both passed away from pneumonia. Harry Eldred Packer (1850-1884) passed away from cirrhosis of the liver, complications which arose from a condition known as Bright's Disease, a defunct name for a type of nephritis or kidney disorder, which unfortunately did damage to his liver. Mary Hannah Packer Cummings (1839-1912) was the only child to survive into the 20th Century. She passed away peacefully in her sleep at the age of seventy-three.
In Remembrance
Despite his successes, Asa's life was marked by personal sorrows. The loss of his children at early ages quite possibly led him to many of his philanthropic ideals. Considered nouveau riches, Asa never truly forgot his humble beginnings, and in many respects, left the world far better than he found it. Regarded as quiet and reserved, his generous deeds spoke for him. A philanthropist throughout his lifetime, Asa gave $33 million dollars to the town of Mauch Chunk and to the Lehigh Valley. A year and half after celebrating his 50th wedding anniversary, Asa passed away. A fall at his office in Philadelphia had left him bedridden for several weeks in which time pneumonia had set in. He would enter into rest on May 17, 1879. He left behind his beloved wife, Sarah, and three children - Mary, Robert, and Harry.
[Link] |
|
 |
| Date | Firm | Approve | Disapprove | Don't Know |
 | BOOKS |
 |
|
| Title |
Purchase |
Contributor |
|
| Date |
Category |
Headline |
Article |
Contributor |
|
| INFORMATION LINKS |
|
|
|
