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Preston Lea

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Preston Lea
File:Lea1.gif
Governor of Delaware
Governor of Delaware
Personal details
BornNovember 12 1841
Wilmington, Delaware
DiedDecember 4 1916
New Castle, Delaware
Political partyRepublican
Height170
Spouse(s)Adelaide Moore
Eliza Naudain Corbit
Residence(s)Wilmington, Delaware

Preston Lea (November 12 1841 – December 4 1916) was an American businessman and politician from Wilmington, in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a member of the Republican Party and served as Governor of Delaware.

Early life and family

Lea was born November 12 1841 at Brandywine Village, now a part of Wilmington, Delaware, son of William & Jane Scott Lovett Lea. His ancestors came to Pennsylvania with William Penn and his grandfather, Thomas Lea, built a flour mill on the Brandywine Creek in 1811. His first marriage was with Adelaide Moore in 1870 and they had three children, Claudia Wright, Alice Moore, and Ethel Mildred. He married secondly, Eliza Naudain Corbit in 1897 and they had one child, Louise Corbit. Their home for many years was at 2315 17th Street in Wilmington and they were members of the Wilmington Friends Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends or Quakers.

Professional career

Wilmington, Delaware is really a combination of two towns. Wilmington proper rises from the banks of the navigable Christina River and prospered as a convenient place to collect farm products from the interior of Delaware and central Pennsylvania. At its back, though, is a tributary of the Christina River, known as Brandywine Creek. Navigable for only a short distance, the creek quickly rises into the Piedmont and through a series of small falls, provides a dependable source of power for mills. Small boats, or shallops, sailed up to the base of these falls, unloaded their grain, and loaded back up with what became known as "Superfine" flour, some of the best flour produced in America. These mills were known as the Brandywine Mills and the town around them, Brandywine Village.

Lea's grandfather, Thomas Lea, built a flour mill in Brandywine Village on the Brandywine Creek in 1811. His father, William Lea, ran the mill until his death in 1873. After receiving an education at Lawrenceville, New Jersey, Preston Lea went to work for his father at the age of eighteen. When William Lea died, the firm was incorporated as William Lea & Sons. Preston Lea became its Vice President and then its President in 1876.

In addition, he became President of the Wilmington Board of Trade in 1873, and in 1888 was elected President of the Union National Bank. Still holding these positions, he was also Vice-President of Farmers Mutual Insurance Co., a director of Philadelphia, Baltimore & Washington Railroad, President of the Equitable Guarantee Bank, and President of the Wilmington City Railway Co.

Political career

During the 30 years following the Civil War the Republican Party was largely the party of New Castle County industrialists and the African-American population. Politically opposed by large majorities of the rural population of Kent and Sussex Counties, as well as much of the large Irish immigrant population in Wilmington, state-wide they were a decided minority. Some years they didn't even field a ticket. However, as gas company millionaire and Philadelphia native, J. Edward Addicks poured campaign money into the Republican Party organization, young businessmen and politicians, tired of the long dominance of the Democrats, responded and joined up.

Another reason behind the success of the Addicks effort was the resentment many had for the established Republican leaders in New Castle County. Their control of the party seemed to others to be more important than beating Democrats and correcting widely acknowledged problems. The established party leaders could not abide the thought of supporting the "carpetbagger" Addicks, and rebuffed him and the newcomers he brought into the party with him. So, with a mostly progressive agenda, and styling themselves "Union Republicans," they frequently ran their own candidates and rapidly built a large following.

While Lea was certainly an old time Republican industrialist of New Castle County, he was different in that he saw the positive side of Addicks' efforts, formed close friendships with rising young politicians from lower Delaware like John G. Townsend, Jr., and was counted among the Union Republicans. In 1904 he was the Union Republican candidate for Governor. Popular in New Castle County Republicans circles and benefiting from the well funded Addicks machine elsewhere, Lea won nearly all the growing number of Republicans voters, easily defeating both Joseph Chandler, the regular Republican Party candidate and Caleb S. Pennewill, the Democratic Party candidate. He served one term as Governor of Delaware from January 17,1905 until January 19 1909.

Within a year after the election, Addicks suffered major personal and business setbacks and completely withdrew from Delaware politics. With no further reason to disagree, the two Republicans factions came together under the political leadership of T. Coleman du Pont. Thus formed the durable majority coalition of upstate industrialists and downstate small businessmen that governed Delaware for 60 years and is still the basis of the Republicans Party.

Both sessions of the General Assembly during Lea's term contained Republican Party majorities, although until the September 1905 political demise of J. Edward Addicks, the Republicans were split into two factions. During these sessions the pillory was finally outlawed, although the whipping post remained. The long disputed boundary with New Jersey, in the Delaware River, was also resolved, and the now antiquated Chesapeake and Delaware Canal was sold to the Federal Government in order to provide for major improvement. Laws were also passed requiring at least three months of school attendance by children, and local option legislation allowed Kent and Sussex Counties prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages. T. Coleman du Pont also announced his plans for a new highway, to be built the length of Delaware in 1908.

Death and legacy

In his later years Lea much of his time at his summer home "the Orchards," thought to be in the area of the refinery near Delaware City. He died December 4 1916 at New Castle, Delaware, and is buried at the Wilmington & Brandywine Cemetery, Wilmington.


Political offices
Preceded by Governor of Delaware
January 17 1905 – January 19 1909 		Succeeded by

Public offices

Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1st. The Governor takes office the third Tuesday of January, and has a four year term.

Office Type Location Elected Took Office Left Office notes
Governor Executive Dover 1904 January 17 1905 January 19 1909

Election results

Year Office Subject Party Votes % Opponent Party Votes %
1904 Governor Preston Lea Republican 22,532 46% Caleb S. Pennewill
Joseph H. Chandler 		Democratic
Republican 		19,780
802 		41%
2%

References

  • Carter, Richard B. (2001). Clearing New Ground, The Life of John G. Townsend, Jr. Wilmington, Delaware: The Delaware Heritage Press. ISBN 0-924117-20-6. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Munroe, John A. (1993). History of Delaware. Newark, Delaware: University of Delaware Press. ISBN 0-87413-493-5. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Martin, Roger A. (1984). A History of Delaware Through its Governors. Wilmington, Delaware: McClafferty Press. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Wilds, Lea (2005). "In Their Own Words". The National Cyclopedia of American Biography. Retrieved 2006-09-01. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

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