Asa Adgate

Asa Adgate (November 17, 1767 – February 15, 1832) was an American iron manufacturer, farmer, local government official, and one-term member of the United States House of Representatives from New York. He was born in Kings District, in the Province of New York—an area now known as Canaan—in 1767, the son of Judge Matthew Adgate and Eunice Baldwin Adgate. Raised in a family with a tradition of public service and legal involvement, he came of age in the final years of the colonial era and the early period of the new American republic, circumstances that shaped his later engagement in civic and political affairs.

In 1793, Adgate moved to what became known as Adgates Falls, now Ausable Chasm, in New York. There he established himself as both an iron manufacturer and a farmer, engaging in the manufacture of iron and in agricultural pursuits. His activities in this frontier region contributed to the economic development of the area, and the locality’s association with his name reflected his prominence in the community. On January 28, 1798, he married Annar (Anna) Allen; the couple had four children: Theodore, Julia, Eunice, and Asa. After the death of his first wife, he married Anna Waterman on August 22, 1819, and they had one daughter, Catherine.

Adgate quickly became active in local government following his relocation. In 1793, the town of Peru, New York, was reorganized, and in that same year he was elected town clerk, a position to which he was reelected in 1794. He continued to hold a series of local offices, serving as town supervisor in 1795 and as assessor from 1796 to 1797. In 1798 he served as commissioner of schools, reflecting his involvement in the organization and oversight of local educational affairs. That same year, he was elected to the New York State Assembly, marking his entry into state-level politics. In addition to his civil roles, Adgate served in the New York State Militia as a lieutenant of infantry from October 7, 1793, until his resignation was accepted on January 16, 1800. In 1799, New York Governor John Jay appointed him to the first commission of the peace for Essex County, New York, as one of the judges of the court of common pleas, a judicial position he held for several years.

Adgate’s growing experience in local and state government culminated in his selection to the United States House of Representatives. In 1815, he was elected as a Democratic-Republican (often referred to at the time as a Republican) to fill the vacancy in Congress caused by the death of Representative Benjamin Pond. Representing New York, he served in the Fourteenth Congress from December 4, 1815, to March 3, 1817. His term in office coincided with a significant period in American history, in the aftermath of the War of 1812, when issues of national recovery, economic policy, and political realignment were prominent. During his one term in Congress, Adgate participated in the legislative process and represented the interests of his constituents, contributing to the democratic governance of the young republic. He chose not to run for reelection at the conclusion of the term.

After leaving Congress, Adgate resumed his earlier occupations as an iron manufacturer and farmer in the Ausable Chasm area. He remained engaged in public life and returned to state politics, serving another term in the New York State Assembly in 1823. His later years were spent in the same region where he had long been a leading figure in both economic and civic affairs.

Asa Adgate died at Ausable Chasm, New York, on February 15, 1832, at the age of 64. He was interred at Ausable Chasm Cemetery in Ausable Township, Clinton County, New York. His life reflected the intertwined roles of local entrepreneur, militia officer, jurist, and legislator that characterized many early American public servants.