Carlos Baxter
{{Short description|American politician (1809–1874)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Carlos Baxter
| image =
| caption =
| office = Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from Burlington, Vermont
| term_start = 1839
| term_end = 1841
| predecessor = Harry Bradley
| successor = William A. Griswold
|constituency = Burlington, Vermont
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1809|01|15}}
| birth_place = Brownington, Vermont, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1874|01|28|1809|01|15}}
| death_place = Burlington, Vermont, U.S.
| restingplace =
| party = Whig
Republican
| spouse = Cornelia Deming
| children = 5
| father = William Baxter
| relatives = Portus Baxter (brother)
Jedediah Hyde Baxter (nephew)
Benjamin F. Deming (father-in-law)
Bradley Smalley (son-in-law)
| education = Norwich University
Union College (BA)
| signature =
}}
Carlos Baxter (January 15, 1809 – January 28, 1874) was an American politician who served in the Vermont House of Representatives from 1839 to 1841, as a Whig. He served as a collector of internal revenue from 1862 to 1867.
Born in Brownington, Vermont, Baxter's father served in the state house and his brother, Portus Baxter, later served in the United States House of Representatives. He was educated at Norwich University and Union College. He practiced law in Burlington, Vermont, and had a business venture in Winooski, Vermont.
Active in state politics, Baxter was elected to the state house and later declined the Whig nomination in 1850. The Vermont Whigs elected him to their state committee in 1852, and he was an early member of the Republican Party.
Early life and education
Carlos Baxter was born in Brownington, Vermont, on January 15, 1809, to William Baxter and Lydia Ashley. His brother, Portus Baxter, was elected to the United States House of Representatives.{{sfn|Rutland Herald|1874}}{{sfn|Union College}} William was a state's attorney and member of the Vermont House of Representatives and left an estate worth $100,000 ({{Inflation|US|100000|1827|fmt=eq}}) when he died in 1827.{{sfn|The Washingtonian|1803}}{{sfn|Baldwin|1886|p=48}}
Baxter entered Norwich University in 1821, and graduated in 1825. Entering the University of Vermont in 1826, he left in his sophomore year to attend Union College, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1830.{{sfn|Rutland Herald|1874}}{{sfn|Union College}} The University of Vermont gave him a honorary degree in 1847.{{sfn|St. Albans Messenger|1847}}
Career
On December 28, 1832, Baxter was admitted to the bar in Orleans County, Vermont, and later practiced law in Burlington, Vermont.{{sfn|Union College}}{{sfn|Rutland Herald|1874}} He was a part of a business venture that constructed woolen mills in Winooski, Vermont, in 1835.{{sfn|Bushnell|2017}} In 1849, Baxter and 30 other men petitioned the state legislature to give them a charter for a railroad.{{sfn|The Burlington Free Press|1849}}{{sfn|St. Albans Messenger|1849}} He had an income of $5,000 ({{Inflation|US|5000|1866|fmt=eq}}) in 1866.{{sfn|Burlington Times|1866}}
At the 1836 Whig state convention Baxter was selected to serve as a secretary.{{sfn|Vermont Chronicle|1836}} He was a member of the Whig town committee in Burlington in 1839,{{sfn|Burlington Weekly Free Press|1839}} and the state committee in 1852.{{sfn|Vermont Journal|1852}} He represented Burlington in the state house from 1839 to 1841.{{sfn|Rutland Herald|1874}}{{sfn|Comstock|1918|p=353}} Henry Leavenworth was given the Whig nomination for state representative in 1850, but declined and it was instead given to Baxter, who also declined the nomination as he would be away from home for a few months; Leavenworth later accepted the nomination.{{sfn|The Burlington Free Press|1850}}
Baxter was one of the early members of the Republican Party.{{sfn|Rutland Herald|1874}} In the 1860 election, 130 votes in Fairfield, Vermont, were erroneously given to Baxter instead of his brother, who was running for Vermont's 3rd congressional district.{{sfn|Vermont Watchman|1860}} From 1862 to 1867, Baxter served as the collector of internal revenue for Vermont's 3rd congressional district.{{sfn|St. Albans Messenger|1862}}{{sfn|Rutland Herald|1874}} During the 1872 presidential election he supported Liberal Republican nominee Horace Greeley.{{sfn|Rutland Herald|1874}}
Personal life and death
On May 15, 1833, Baxter married Cornelia Deming,{{sfn|Union College}} one of the daughters of Benjamin F. Deming,{{sfn|Rutland Herald|1874}} and had five children before her death on May 25, 1843.{{sfn|Union College}} Baxter's daughter, Caroline, married Bradley Smalley.{{sfn|Rutland Herald|1874}} The Winterbotham Estate was owned by Baxter from 1833 to 1867,{{sfn|Champlain College|2019}} until he sold it to G.A. Austin for $15,000 ({{Inflation|US|15000|1867|fmt=eq}}).{{sfn|Burlington Weekly Sentinel|1867}}
Paralyzed by a disease in 1870, Baxter suffered "an attack of paralysis" on January 26, 1874, which left the right side of his body paralyzed and him unable to speak. He died in Burlington, at 8:25 P.M. EST on January 28, 1874.{{sfn|St. Albans Messenger|1874}}{{sfn|Rutland Herald|1874}}{{sfn|Baldwin|1886|p=105}}
References
{{reflist}}
Works cited
{{refbegin|30em}}
=Books=
- {{cite book|last=Baldwin |first=Frederick |title=Biography of the Bar of Orleans County, Vermont |publisher=Vermont Watchman and State Journal Press |date=1886 |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/04002424/}}
- {{cite book|editor-last=Comstock |editor-first=John |title=A List of the Principal Civil Officers of Vermont From 1777 to 1918 |publisher=St. Albans Messenger |date=1918 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j9IGAAAAMAAJ}}
=News=
- {{Cite news |date=May 18, 1849 |title=Application for a Charter |page=2 |work=The Burlington Free Press |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-burlington-free-press/169044843/ |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{harvid|The Burlington Free Press|1849}}}}
- {{Cite news |date=January 27, 1874 |title=Attack |page=3 |work=St. Albans Messenger |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-albans-daily-messenger/169079414/ |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{harvid|St. Albans Messenger|1874}}}}
- {{Cite news |date=January 30, 1874 |title=Death of Carlos Baxter |page=3 |work=Rutland Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/rutland-daily-herald/169020171/ |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{harvid|Rutland Herald|1874}}}}
- {{Cite news |date=November 1, 1849 |title=House |page=2 |work=St. Albans Messenger |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-st-albans-weekly-messenger/169044884/ |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{harvid|St. Albans Messenger|1849}}}}
- {{Cite news |date=November 2, 1860 |title=Members of Congress For Vermont - Official Canvas - |page=1 |work=Vermont Watchman |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-vermont-watchman/169077155/ |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{harvid|Vermont Watchman|1860}}}}
- {{Cite news |date=March 15, 1867 |title=Real Estate |page=3 |work=Burlington Weekly Sentinel |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-burlington-weekly-sentinel/169078255/ |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{harvid|Burlington Weekly Sentinel|1867}}}}
- {{Cite news |date=March 3, 1836 |title=State Convention |page=3 |work=Vermont Chronicle |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/vermont-chronicle/169044036/ |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{harvid|Vermont Chronicle|1836}}}}
- {{Cite news |date=August 11, 1866 |title=The Income List |page=3 |work=Burlington Times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-burlington-times/169078035/ |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{harvid|Burlington Times|1866}}}}
- {{Cite news |date=July 9, 1852 |title=The Whig State Convention |page=2 |work=Vermont Journal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/vermont-journal/169045599/ |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{harvid|Vermont Journal|1852}}}}
- {{Cite news |date=July 12, 1839 |title=Town Representative |page=3 |work=Burlington Weekly Free Press |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/burlington-weekly-free-press/169044276/ |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{harvid|Burlington Weekly Free Press|1839}}}}
- {{Cite news |date=July 24, 1862 |title=U.S. Collectors and Assessor for Vt. |page=3 |work=St. Albans Messenger |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-st-albans-weekly-messenger/169077374/ |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{harvid|St. Albans Messenger|1862}}}}
- {{Cite news |date=September 26, 1803 |title=Vermont Election |page=3 |work=The Washingtonian |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-washingtonian/169080842/ |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{harvid|The Washingtonian|1803}}}}
- {{Cite news |date=August 18, 1847 |title=Vermont University |page=2 |work=St. Albans Messenger |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-st-albans-weekly-messenger/169044955/ |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{harvid|St. Albans Messenger|1847}}}}
- {{Cite news |date=August 21, 1850 |title=Whig Meeting |page=2 |work=The Burlington Free Press |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-burlington-free-press/169045478/ |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{harvid|The Burlington Free Press|1850}}}}
- {{Cite news |last=Bushnell |first=Mark |date=June 4, 2017 |title=Then Again: Mills shaped the fabric of Winooski |publisher=Champlain College |url=https://vtdigger.org/2017/06/04/mills-shaped-fabric-winooski/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250328164712/https://vtdigger.org/2017/06/04/mills-shaped-fabric-winooski/ |archive-date=March 28, 2025}}
=Web=
- {{Cite web |title=Baxter, Carlos |work=Rutland Daily Herald |date=1874 |page=3 |publisher=Union College |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/rutland-daily-herald/169020171/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240723054237/https://digitalworks.union.edu/alumnifiles_1830/49/ |archive-date=July 23, 2024 |ref={{harvid|Union College}}}}
- {{Cite web |date=September 11, 2019 |title=Blast From the Past: Champlain's Storied Academic Buildings |publisher=Champlain College |url=https://www.champlain.edu/2019/09/11/blast-from-the-past-champlains-storied-academic-buildings/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250328164855/https://www.champlain.edu/2019/09/11/blast-from-the-past-champlains-storied-academic-buildings/ |archive-date=March 28, 2025 |ref={{harvid|Champlain College|2019}}}}
{{refend}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baxter, Carlos}}
Category:19th-century members of the Vermont General Assembly
Category:Members of the Vermont House of Representatives
Category:Politicians from Burlington, Vermont
Category:Union College (New York) alumni
Category:People from Brownington, Vermont