Notable people · Politician · Governor · Business
Charles Foster
Charles William Foster Jr. was born near Tiffin and grew up in Rome, a town that became Fostoria and was named for his father. He served in Congress, as Ohio governor from 1880 to 1884, and as U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.
At a glance
- Born
- 1828-04-12
- Died
- 1904-01-09
- Known as
- Politician, Governor, Business
- Organizations
- U.S. Treasury
Life story
Charles William Foster Jr. was born in April 1828 near Tiffin. He grew up in Rome in western Seneca County. In 1854 that town merged with Risdon to form Fostoria, named for his father, Charles W. Foster Sr.
He married Ann M. Olmstead in 1853; they had two daughters, Jessie and Anna. A Republican, he was elected to the U.S. House in 1870 and served four terms, until he lost in 1878.
He was governor of Ohio from 1880 to 1884, then Secretary of the Treasury under Benjamin Harrison from 1891 to 1893. He died in Springfield, Ohio, in January 1904.
Timeline
- 1828-04-12: Born (near Tiffin, OH) source
- 1853-11-07: Marries Ann M. Olmstead source
- 1854: Rome and Risdon merge as Fostoria (Fostoria, OH) source
- 1871: Takes seat in U.S. House (Washington, DC) source
- 1878: Defeated for re-election source
- 1880: Becomes governor of Ohio (Columbus, OH) source
- 1891: Becomes Secretary of the Treasury (Washington, DC) source
- 1904-01-09: Dies (Springfield, OH) source
What Charles is known for
- Governor of Ohio, 1880-1884
- U.S. Representative, 1871-1879
- U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, 1891-1893
Inventions and firsts
Honors and things named for them
- Fostoria, Ohio, named for his father
Family
- father: Charles W. Foster Sr.
- wife: Ann M. Olmstead
Ohio places
Where Charles Foster was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Born: near Tiffin, Seneca County ZIP 44883 · Seneca County
- Lived: Fostoria, Seneca County ZIP 44830 · Fostoria · Seneca County
Myths and corrections
- Disputed: Wikipedia notes that in his last days as Treasury secretary, Foster spent time posing for his official portrait while an economic crisis was starting in 1893. This is a critique, not an established fact of his term.
Further reading
Sources
- Wikipedia: Charles Foster (Ohio politician) birth, upbringing in Rome/Fostoria, marriage, offices, death