State Web Site

ENOCH LOUIS LOWE was born in Frederick, Maryland on August 10, 1820. His education was attained at St. John's School in Frederick, at Clongowa Wood College in Ireland, and at the Jesuit College in England, where he graduated in 1839. He later studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1842, and then established his legal career in Frederick County. Lowe entered politics in 1845, serving as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates. He was elected governor of Maryland by a popular vote on October 2, 1850 and was sworn into office on January 6, 1851. During his tenure, the State Constitution of 1851 was ratified; construction on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to the Ohio River was completed; the office of comptroller of the treasury was created; election law amendments were supported; the state deficit was reduced; and criminal code revisions were recommended. After completing his term, Lowe left office on January 11, 1854. He later served as a Democratic presidential elector in 1860, and supported the Confederacy during the Civil War. Governor Enoch Louis Lowe passed away on August 23, 1892, and was buried at the St. John's Catholic Cemetery in Frederick, Maryland.

Sources:

Eisenberg, Gerson G. Marylanders Who Served the Nation. Annapolis, MD: Maryland State Archives, 1992.

Sobel, Robert, and John Raimo, eds. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. 1, Westport, Conn.; Meckler Books, 1978. 4 vols.

White, Frank F., Jr. The Governors of Maryland, 1777-1972. Annapolis, MD: Hall of Records Commission, 1970.

Maryland State Archives