Galusha Aaron Grow (1822-1907)

Galusha Aaron Grow (August 31, 1822­March 31, 1907) was a prominent U.S. politician, lawyer, and businessman, and was Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1861 to 1863.

Grow was born in Ashford (now Eastford), Connecticut, on August 31, 1823. He moved to Glenwood, Susquehanna County, Pa., in May 1834, attended the common schools and Franklin Academy, Susquehanna County, and graduated from Amherst College, Amherst, Mass., in 1844. He studied law in Norwich, Connecticut, and Montrose, Pennsylvania, and was admitted to the bar of Susquehanna County in November 1847. He practiced law in Towanda, Pennsylvania, from 1847 to 1848, in Montrose, Pennsylvania, from 1848 to 1852, and in Glenwood, Pennsylvania.

He was elected Representative of the Susquehanna district as a Democrat to the 32nd, 33rd, and 34th Congresses and as a Republican to the 35th, 36th, and 37th Congresses, serving from March 4, 1851 to March 3, 1863. He was chairman, Committee on Territories (34th and 36th Congresses); unsuccessful Republican nominee for Speaker in 1857; Speaker of the House of Representatives (37th Congress).

Grow was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1864, 1868 and 1892.

He moved to Houston, Texas in 1871, and was president of the Houston & Great Northern Railroad Co. of Texas 1871-1875. He then returned to Pennsylvania and engaged in lumber, oil, and soft-coal pursuits from 1875 to 1894.

Grow returned to the United States Congress as a member at-large from Pennsylvania from 1894 to 1903. He was elected as a Republican to the 53rd Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of William Lilly, reelected to the 54th and to the three succeeding Congresses and served from February 26, 1894, to March 3, 1903. He was chairman, Committee on Education (54th through 57th Congresses). He declined a renomination in 1902 and resided in Glenwood, Pennsylvania, from 1903 until his death. He wrote many magazine articles.

Grow died in Glenwood, near Scranton, Pa., March 31, 1907, and is buried in Harford Cemetery, Harford, Pa.