Augustus Porter Hascall

Augustus Porter Hascall (June 24, 1800 – June 27, 1872) was an American politician, surveyor, lawyer, judge, and a U.S. Representative from New York. He was born in Hinsdale, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, on June 24, 1800. During his youth he moved with his family to New York, part of the broader early nineteenth-century migration into the state’s interior. His early years were shaped by the developing communities of upstate New York, where expanding settlement created demand for surveying, legal services, and local governance, fields in which he would later build his career.

Hascall received a common-school education and studied surveying at a time when land development and infrastructure projects were central to the growth of New York. He became a surveyor and participated in the laying out and mapping of lands in western New York, work that required both technical skill and familiarity with the region’s rapidly changing landscape. His experience as a surveyor provided him with practical knowledge of property, boundaries, and local needs, which would inform his later legal and political activities.

After establishing himself as a surveyor, Hascall studied law, was admitted to the bar, and commenced practice in New York. As a lawyer he handled matters typical of a growing frontier and small-town environment, including land titles, contracts, and local disputes. His legal practice, combined with his surveying background, made him a prominent figure in his community and led to his service as a judge, reflecting the confidence placed in his judgment and understanding of the law. His judicial role further enhanced his reputation and positioned him for entry into elective office.

As a member of the Whig Party representing New York, Hascall contributed to the legislative process during one term in the United States House of Representatives. Elected as a Whig to the Twenty-eighth Congress, he served from March 4, 1843, to March 3, 1845, during a significant period in American history marked by debates over economic policy, territorial expansion, and internal improvements. In Congress he participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his New York constituents, aligning with Whig principles that generally favored congressional supremacy over the presidency, support for internal improvements, and a cautious approach to territorial expansion.

Hascall’s congressional service took place against the backdrop of the presidency of John Tyler and the early stages of national discussion over issues that would later culminate in sectional conflict. As a Whig, he was part of a party that sought to promote economic development through infrastructure and a stable financial system, priorities that resonated with the needs of his region. Although he served only a single term, his time in the House of Representatives formed the apex of a public career that had grown out of local and regional responsibilities.

After leaving Congress, Hascall returned to New York and resumed his legal and related professional activities. He continued to be regarded as a leading citizen, drawing on his experience as a surveyor, lawyer, and judge to contribute to local affairs and to the orderly development of his community. His post-congressional years reflected the pattern of many nineteenth-century legislators who alternated between national service and influential roles in their home districts.

Augustus Porter Hascall died on June 27, 1872. His life spanned a period of profound transformation in the United States, from the early republic through the Civil War era, and his varied career as surveyor, lawyer, judge, and Whig congressman illustrates the interconnected nature of professional, legal, and political service in nineteenth-century New York.