  john stewart barry (january 29, 1802â january 14, 1870) was the fourth and eighth governor of the u.s. state of michigan. he was michigan's only three-term governor in the 19th century. his main accomplishment was to rationalize state finances after the state's internal improvements fiasco. ==early life in new hampshire and vermont== barry was born in amherst, new hampshire to john and ellen (steward) barry. while he was young, the family moved to rockingham, vermont where he worked on his father's farm and received an education in the local schools. he married mary kidder, of grafton, vermont, and in 1824 went to georgia, vermont, where he taught school while studying law. he began to practice law, and while in georgia he was also a member of the governorâs staff. ==life and politics in michigan== in 1831, he moved to white pigeon, michigan where he became a merchant and was active in politics. in 1834, barry moved to constantine, michigan and opened a general store in that village's first frame-built building. he became justice of the peace in 1831 while in white pigeon and continued until 1835. barry was a prominent participant from the 13th district in the 1835 convention that drafted michigan's first constitution. when michigan became a state of the union in 1837, barry was a state senator (1836, 1840) and was recognized as a leader of the state democratic party. in 1840, barry became deeply interested in the cultivation of the sugar beet and visited eu
1802_births 1870_deaths Democratic_Party_state_governors_of_the_United_States Governors_of_Michigan Michigan_Democrats Michigan_State_Senators People_from_Amherst,_New_Hampshire People_from_Franklin_County,_Vermont People_of_Michigan_in_the_American_Civil_War