Isaac Tichenor is Born

Today in Masonic History Isaac Tichenor is born in 1754.

Isaac Tichenor was an American politician.

Tichenor was born on February 8th, 1754 in Newark in the Province of New Jersey. He graduated from Princeton University in 1775. He then moved to Schenectady, New York where he studied law. In 1777 he moved to Bennington, Vermont.

In Bennington, Tichenor served as an Assistant Commissary General during the American Revolution. He served as Captain of his militia unit. It was activated at various times during the war in upstate New York and in Vermont. During this same time he was also appointed Justice of the Peace.

From 1781 to 1784, Tichenor served in the Vermont House of Representatives. In 1783 he served as the Speaker of the House. From 1782 to 1789 he was an agent for the Republic of Vermont to the Continental Congress. In this position he was the one who presented Vermont's request for admission into the Union.

After Vermont was admitted as a state in 1791, Tichenor ran, unsuccessfully, for a seat in the United States House of Representatives. After his failed bid for the United States Congress, he served on the Vermont State Supreme Court from 1791 to 1796. From 1794 to 1796 he served as the Chief Justice. He was also active in the Vermont militia and attained the rank of Major General, commanding the second division.

In 1796, Tichenor was elected to fill the United States Senate seat of Moses Robinson. Tichenor served as a Federalist and was reelected to the office in 1797. Later in 1797 he resigned when he was elected as the 3rd Governor of Vermont.

Tichenor served as Governor of Vermont from 1797 to 1807. During this time the Federalist part was slowly going away. Many prominent Vermont politicians and leaders moved to the newly formed Democratic-Republican Party formed by Thomas Jefferson. Tichenor was something of a gauge of how the Federalists were slowly losing power. In each reelection he won by smaller and smaller margins until he was defeated in 1807. In 1808 he was reelected to single one year term as the 5th Governor of Vermont. He tried several more times to regain the Governor's office unsuccessfully.

In 1815, Tichenor returned to the United States Senate, still as a Federalist. By the time his term ended in 1821, the Federalist party no longer existed.

Tichenor passed away on December 11th, 1838.

Tichenor was a member of Temple Lodge No. 4 in Bennington, Vermont. He later was a founding member of Mount Anthony Lodge No. 13, also in Bennington, Vermont. He was also a member of Jerusalem Chapter No. 2 Royal Arch Masons in Vergennes, Vermont. In 1809 he served as the Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Vermont and Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter of Vermont.

This article provided by Brother Eric C. Steele.