Asa S. Bushnell (Ohio)

Asa Smith Bushnell (September 16, 1834 - January 15, 1904) was a Republican politician from Ohio. He served as the 40th Governor of Ohio.

Bushnell was born in Rome, New York and moved to Springfield, Ohio at age 17. A business executive, Bushnell served as the Ohio State Republican Party Chair in 1885. He succeeded William McKinley as governor, serving two two-year terms from 1896-1900.

Valentine Anti-Trust Act

During the Bushnell administration, Ohio took an early leadership role in trust-busting. The Valentine Anti-Trust Act was signed into law by Bushnell. This Act prohibited price fixing, and production limitation. All of these practices helped businesses by driving up the prices for their products, thus harming the consumer. In addition to Valentine Anti-Trust Act, Bushnell's attorney general pursued the monopolistic practices of the Standard Oil Company in the courts. Eventually, Ohio Senator John Sherman introduced the Sherman Antitrust Act in the United States Congress in 1890. This law served as the first serious attempt by the federal government to break up monopolies and trusts.

Residence

Asa Bushnell and his wife built a mansion based on a Richardson Romanesque style in Springfield, Ohio. His house was not designed by Henry Hobson Richardson but by Richardson’s firm after his death. He chose this style because his partner, John Glessner, hired Richardson earlier to do his house when he moved to Chicago. The Glessner house is considered one of Richardson greatest designs.

External links

* [http://www.springfield-clarkcountyohio.info/bushnell_house.htm Bushnell House]
* [http://www.glessnerhouse.org/house.html Glessner House]
* [http://findagrave.net/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=12569&pt=Asa%20Smith%20Bushnell grave site]
* [http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=14 ohiohistorycentral.org on the life of Asa Bushnell]
* [http://www.internationaldelivers.com/site_layout/index.asp International Truck and Engine Corporation]