Josiah W. Begole (January 20, 1815 - June 5, 1896) was a U.S. Representative and Governor of the U.S. state of Michigan. Begole was born in Groveland, New York. His ancestors were French Huguenots who emigrated to the United States in the last quarter of the 18th century to escape religious persecution and settled in Hagerstown, Maryland. Josiah's father, William (1786-1862) was born there and moved to Livingston County, New York in 1802. William served in the War of 1812 and married the daughter of an American Revolutionary War veteran. Three of Williams sons, including Josiah, the eldest, eventually moved to Genesee County, Michigan.
Josiah Begole attended the public schools in Mount Morris and Temple Hill Academy in Geneseo, New York. He moved to Flint, Michigan in August 1836 and taught school in 1837 and 1838. He engaged in agricultural pursuits from 1839 to 1856 and was school inspector, justice of the peace and township treasurer. He was county treasurer 1856-1864. He engaged in the lumber business in 1863. He was a member of the Michigan Senate in 1870 and 1871, and a member of the Flint city council for three years. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention at Philadelphia in 1872.
Begole was elected as a Republican to the United States House of Representatives for the Forty-third Congress, serving from March 4, 1873 to March 3, 1875. He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1874 and resumed the lumber business. He later engaged in the manufacture of wagons and also engaged in banking.
In 1882, he was gubernatorial candidate of the Greenback and Democratic parties, defeating the Republican incumbent David Jerome by over 7,000 votes. He served one term from 1883 to 1885. As a former Republican who ousted a Republican incumbent, Begole faced many obstacles with a Republican-dominated legislature. He ran for re-election in 1884, but was defeated by Republican Russell Alger, after which he resumed his former business activities. He was an early activist for women's suffrage, and in 1884 Begole became vice president of the first statewide suffrage organization, the Michigan Equal Suffrage Association.
He died in Flint and is interred in Glenwood Cemetery there.
This article incorporates facts obtained from the public domain Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
Preceded by: David Jerome Governor of Michigan 1883-1885 Succeeded by: Russell Alger Governors of Michigan Mason • Woodbridge • Gordon • Barry • Felch • Greenly • Ransom • Barry • McClelland • Parsons • Bingham • Wisner • Blair • Crapo •
