Background
Frederick Ferdinand Low was born on June 30, 1828 in that part of Frankfort which later became Winterport, Maine, United States. His father was a small farmer in the Penobscot Valley.
Businessman Diplomat politician
Frederick Ferdinand Low was born on June 30, 1828 in that part of Frankfort which later became Winterport, Maine, United States. His father was a small farmer in the Penobscot Valley.
Low attended public schools in Frankfort. At fifteen he was apprenticed to the East India firm of Russell, Sturgis & Company, Boston, and during the next five years he learned much about California and the Far East, where the firm operated. He also broadened his education by diligent attendance at the lectures given by the most distinguished men of the time at Faneuil Hall and the Lowell Institute.
On February 22 1849 Low embarked for the Isthmus of Panama, and after the usual hardships and delay, passed through the Golden Gate on the steamer Panama on June 4, 1849. He at once struck out for the mines and panned some gold on the south fork of the American River, but when the winter rains began he returned to San Francisco. Then began a successful business career as a merchant, first in San Francisco, then in the autumn of 1850 in partnership with his brother in Marysville.
In March 1854 he brought about a merger of almost all the inland steamship lines on the bay and the Sacramento River. This was followed by the establishment of a banking business in Marysville. In 1861 he was nominated as a Union Republican for representative-at-large in Congress after the census of 1860 disclosed that California would be entitled to a third member. It was not until June 3, 1862, the day after a special act was approved granting the additional seat, that he was sworn into office. During the remainder of the session, until March 3, 1863, he took little active part, but manifested his interest in revenue and banking bills and in California land titles.
On retiring from Congress, he was persuaded by Secretary Chase to accept the post of collector of the port of San Francisco, but this position was soon terminated by his election as ninth governor of California on December 10, 1863. In December 1869 Low was appointed minister to China. During his four years in Peking (1870 - 1874) the major incidents were the Tientsin massacre (1870), the attempt of the United States to secure a treaty with Korea, which resulted in naval operations in May 1871, and the long controversy over the audience question, which was partially won by the foreign representative in 1873. As minister, Low won the esteem of Chinese and foreigners alike. On returning to San Francisco he accepted the position of joint manager of the Anglo-California Bank (1874 - 1891), the second in size on the Pacific Coast, and was also interested in many other business enterprises.
Frederick Low was the first governor to be elected to a four-year term. During his tenure he was respected for his sound judgment and fearlessness, and much credit was due him for the founding of the University of California and for the preservation, from land grabbers, of the site of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.
Low was a member of the Republican Party. While in the legislature he pleaded for justice to the Chinese immigrants.
Low held the respect of his contemporaries because of his good sense, honesty, courage, and friendliness.
Low was married to Mollie Creed.
