Allen Hamilton
Encyclopedia
Allen Hamilton 1798-1864 was a founding father of Fort Wayne, Indiana
.
Allen Hamilton immigrated from Ireland in 1820, living in Lawrenceburg, Indiana
just long enough to marry Emerine J. Holman. She was the daughter of Judge Jesse Holman, who was a founder of Franklin College and the Indiana Historical Society
. The Hamiltons moved to Allen County, Indiana
in 1823 to become deputy clerk in the U.S. Land Office. He was elected the first sheriff of the county (1824-1826), named postmaster of Fort Wayne (1825-1831) and county auditor, clerk and recorder (1831-1838).
In the 1820s, he partnered with Cyrus Taber to form the Indian trading company of Hamilton & Taber. The firm was prosperous, and Hamilton won the trust and confidence of many Indians, particularly Chief Jean Baptiste de Richardville
of the Miami tribe
. In 1834 and again in 1838, he was appointed to the United States Commission to Negotiate Treaties with Miami Indians in Northern Indiana. In 1840, he served on the Commission to Extinguish Indian Titles in Indiana, and was appointed United States Indian agent
to the Miami tribe from 1841-1845.
In 1851, Hamilton was a Whig
delegate to the Indiana
Constitutional Convention
. He served in the Indiana State Senate for one term, beginning in 1859.
Until his death in 1864, Hamilton remained active in business as President of the Fort Wayne branch of the Indiana State Bank and of the Allen Hamilton National Bank in Fort Wayne.
In 1861, Hamilton donated land for a baseball field at the corner of Lewis Street and Calhoun Street. In 1871, that field was the site of the Fort Wayne Kekiongas
first major league baseball game ever played.
Allen Hamilton was the grandfather of author Edith Hamilton
whose books on mythology are classic, and of Alice Hamilton
, a pioneer in American industrial medicine, was the first woman on the Harvard medical faculty. Allen's great-grandson, Holman Hamilton, is noteworthy for a two-volume biography of President Zachary Taylor
.
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
.
Allen Hamilton immigrated from Ireland in 1820, living in Lawrenceburg, Indiana
Lawrenceburg, Indiana
Lawrenceburg is a city in Dearborn County, Indiana, United States. The population was 5,042 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Dearborn County...
just long enough to marry Emerine J. Holman. She was the daughter of Judge Jesse Holman, who was a founder of Franklin College and the Indiana Historical Society
Indiana Historical Society
The Indiana Historical Society is one of the United States' oldest and largest historical societies and describes itself as "Indiana's Storyteller". Housed within the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, it is located at 450 West Ohio St...
. The Hamiltons moved to Allen County, Indiana
Allen County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 331,849 people, 128,745 households, and 86,259 families residing in the county. The population density was 505 people per square mile . There were 138,905 housing units at an average density of 211 per square mile...
in 1823 to become deputy clerk in the U.S. Land Office. He was elected the first sheriff of the county (1824-1826), named postmaster of Fort Wayne (1825-1831) and county auditor, clerk and recorder (1831-1838).
In the 1820s, he partnered with Cyrus Taber to form the Indian trading company of Hamilton & Taber. The firm was prosperous, and Hamilton won the trust and confidence of many Indians, particularly Chief Jean Baptiste de Richardville
Chief Jean Baptiste de Richardville
Jean Baptiste de Richardville , also known as Peshewa and Joseph Richardville, was the last chief of a united Miami tribe.-Biography:...
of the Miami tribe
Miami tribe
The Miami are a Native American nation originally found in what is now Indiana, southwest Michigan, and western Ohio. The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma is the only federally recognized tribe of Miami Indians in the United States...
. In 1834 and again in 1838, he was appointed to the United States Commission to Negotiate Treaties with Miami Indians in Northern Indiana. In 1840, he served on the Commission to Extinguish Indian Titles in Indiana, and was appointed United States Indian agent
Indian agent
In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with Native American tribes on behalf of the U.S. government.-Indian agents:*Leander Clark was agent for the Sac and Fox in Iowa beginning in 1866....
to the Miami tribe from 1841-1845.
In 1851, Hamilton was a Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
delegate to the Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
Constitutional Convention
Constitutional convention (political meeting)
A constitutional convention is now a gathering for the purpose of writing a new constitution or revising an existing constitution. A general constitutional convention is called to create the first constitution of a political unit or to entirely replace an existing constitution...
. He served in the Indiana State Senate for one term, beginning in 1859.
Until his death in 1864, Hamilton remained active in business as President of the Fort Wayne branch of the Indiana State Bank and of the Allen Hamilton National Bank in Fort Wayne.
In 1861, Hamilton donated land for a baseball field at the corner of Lewis Street and Calhoun Street. In 1871, that field was the site of the Fort Wayne Kekiongas
Fort Wayne Kekiongas
The Fort Wayne Kekiongas were a professional baseball team, notable for winning the first professional league game on May 4, 1871. Kekionga - pronounced KEY-key-awn-guh - is the name of Chief Little Turtle's Miami Indian settlement where the St. Joseph River and the St. Mary's River join to form...
first major league baseball game ever played.
Allen Hamilton was the grandfather of author Edith Hamilton
Edith Hamilton
Edith Hamilton was an American educator and author who was "recognized as the greatest woman Classicist". She was sixty-two years old when The Greek Way, her first book, was published in 1930...
whose books on mythology are classic, and of Alice Hamilton
Alice Hamilton
Alice Hamilton was the first woman appointed to the faculty of Harvard University and was a leading expert in the field of occupational health...
, a pioneer in American industrial medicine, was the first woman on the Harvard medical faculty. Allen's great-grandson, Holman Hamilton, is noteworthy for a two-volume biography of President Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
.
See also
- History of Fort Wayne by Wallace Brice, published by D.W. Jones and Son, 1868.
- Allen Hamilton Papers, Indiana Historical Society.