John Fontaine
John Fontaine | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1792 |
| Died | 1866 |
| Occupation(s) | Planter, politician |
| Spouse | Mary Ann (Stewart) Fontaine |
John Fontaine (1792-1866) was an American plantation owner and politician. He served as the first Mayor of Columbus, Georgia from 1836 to 1837. He defended Columbus during the Creek War of 1836.
Biography[edit]
Early life[edit]
John Fontaine was born in 1792.[1]
Career[edit]
He was a steamboat owner and cotton merchant.[1][2][3] He was also a large plantation owner.[4]
He served as the first Mayor of Columbus, Georgia from 1836 to 1837.[3][5][6][7] He defended the town during the Creek War of 1836, with the help of Governor William Schley.[2][7] He used Creek informants to spy and report on their planned attacks.[7]
Personal life[edit]
He married Mary Ann (Stewart) Fontaine (1808-1852).[6] They had six children:
- Henrietta Fontaine (1827-1857).
- Mary Elizabeth Fontaine (1835-unknown).
- Benjamin Bruton Fontaine (1838-1870).
- Theophilus Fontaine (1842-1896).
- Francis Fontaine (1844-1901).
- George H. Fontaine (1850-1904).
Death[edit]
He died in 1866.[1]
Legacy[edit]
- His son, Francis Fontaine, who inherited and managed his plantations, became a newspaper editor, poet and novelist.[4]
- His portrait, painted by Edward Ludlow Mooney (1813-1887), can be found at the Columbus Museum in Columbus, Georgia.[6]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Fontaine family papers, University of Georgia Libraries: Hargrett Rare Books & Manuscript Library
- ^ a b Letter, 1836 May 22, Milledgeville, Geo[rgia to] John Fontaine, Columbus, Georgia / William Schley, Governor of Georgia, Digital Library of Georgia
- ^ a b Artists for Hire in Antebellum Columbus: March 18 - June 24, 2007 Archived July 28, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Traditional Fine Arts Association
- ^ a b Hubert H. McAlexander, 'Francis Fontaine (1945-1901)', in The New Georgia Encyclopedia Companion to Georgia Literature , Hugh Ruppersburg (ed.), John C. Inscoe (ed.), Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press, 2011, pp. 145-146 [1]
- ^ Mayors of Columbus, Georgia Archived 2012-08-29 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c John Fontaine, (painting), Smithsonian Institution
- ^ a b c John T. Ellisor, The Second Creek War: Interethnic Conflict and Collusion on a Collapsing Frontier, Omaha, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 2010, p. 200 [2]
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