John E. Hamm
Encyclopedia
John E. Hamm, M.D.
(31 May 1776 in Kent Co., near Dover
, Delaware
-22 March 1864 Zanesville, Muskingum Co., Ohio) was an American
US Army colonel
, doctor and politician
, diplomat
and industrialist.
.
He moved to Ohio
in 1808, at the end of the 10 years required for his administration of his father's estate.
).
He went on to practice medicine in both Dover Delaware and Philadelphia.
During the War of 1812
he held the rank of Colonel and was in charge of the hospital that treated the wounded from the Battle of Lake Erie
. He was in charge of the Army Hospital at Detroit. In 1813 he was appointed Regular Surgeon of 27th Regiment US Infantry under Gen. William Henry Harrison
. He was also at the Battle of the Thames
.
He practiced and taught medicine in Zanesville
, Ohio
and Chillicothe
, Ohio
, and operated a pharmacy in Zanesville Ohio.
When the State Capital was in Zanesville he became a member of the first Board for the Examination of Physicians and Surgeons in the State of Ohio
.
and his maternal grandfather Immanuel Stout were involved in politics and government. His uncle Jacob Stout
was a 1 term governor of Delaware.
He first became involved in Ohio politics when the state capital was at Chillicothe, and moved with it when the capital changed to Zanesville, then moved back to Chillicothe when the state capital returned there.
In October 1812 he was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives.
In 1815 he was Mayor
of Zanesville.
He was a member of the Ohio Senate
from October 1827 until May 1831, when he resigned to become US Charge de Affairs to Chile.
In 1836 he was the Jeffersonian Candidate for Congress from the Zanesville area.
He appears to have been a member of the Van Horne
faction of the Democratic-Republican Party.
He later was head of his own faction in Ohio politics. His grandson Peter Graham "Bud" Black was the head of a faction of the Ohio Republican Party until 1948.
on 30 Dec 1813 under Pres. Madison
. His first task was to march the prisoners taken during the Battle of Lake Erie to Camp Bull (near Chillicothe, Ohio). As part of this job he was in charge of the taking of the US 1820 Census in the State of Ohio. He served as Marshall of Ohio for 8 years.
under President
Andrew Jackson
.
He negotiated the first US trade treaty with Chile, under which our representative to that country was elevated to the rank of Ambassador
.
, founded the White Glass Company
of Zanesville, Ohio.
This type of company was notoriously difficult to maintain as an enterprise, however White Glass Co. existed well into (and in some form well beyond) the 1820s through several owners and under several names.
The White Glass Company is perhaps best known for producing (now highly collectible) Bottles.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
(31 May 1776 in Kent Co., near Dover
Dover, Delaware
The city of Dover is the capital and second largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, and the principal city of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County. It is located on the St. Jones River in the Delaware...
, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
-22 March 1864 Zanesville, Muskingum Co., Ohio) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
US Army colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
, doctor and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
and industrialist.
Early life
His father and grandfather were both members of the Kent Co. Delaware Committee of Observation and Inspection during the American RevolutionAmerican Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
.
He moved to Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
in 1808, at the end of the 10 years required for his administration of his father's estate.
Medical and military career
John Hamm earned his medical degree from Medical College of Philadelphia (which, after being know under various names, eventually became part of the University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
).
He went on to practice medicine in both Dover Delaware and Philadelphia.
During the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
he held the rank of Colonel and was in charge of the hospital that treated the wounded from the Battle of Lake Erie
Battle of Lake Erie
The Battle of Lake Erie, sometimes called the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was fought on 10 September 1813, in Lake Erie off the coast of Ohio during the War of 1812. Nine vessels of the United States Navy defeated and captured six vessels of Great Britain's Royal Navy...
. He was in charge of the Army Hospital at Detroit. In 1813 he was appointed Regular Surgeon of 27th Regiment US Infantry under Gen. William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
. He was also at the Battle of the Thames
Battle of the Thames
The Battle of the Thames, also known as the Battle of Moraviantown, was a decisive American victory in the War of 1812. It took place on October 5, 1813, near present-day Chatham, Ontario in Upper Canada...
.
He practiced and taught medicine in Zanesville
Zanesville, Ohio
Zanesville is a city in and the county seat of Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. The population was 25,586 at the 2000 census.Zanesville was named after Ebenezer Zane, who had constructed Zane's Trace, a pioneer road through present-day Ohio...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and Chillicothe
Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe is a city in and the county seat of Ross County, Ohio, United States.Chillicothe was the first and third capital of Ohio and is located in southern Ohio along the Scioto River. The name comes from the Shawnee name Chalahgawtha, meaning "principal town", as it was a major settlement of...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, and operated a pharmacy in Zanesville Ohio.
When the State Capital was in Zanesville he became a member of the first Board for the Examination of Physicians and Surgeons in the State of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
A Democratic or Democratic-Republican politician
Both his father (John Hamm Sr.) who was a political adherent of Caesar RodneyCaesar Rodney
Caesar Rodney was an American lawyer and politician from St. Jones Neck in Dover Hundred, Kent County, Delaware, east of Dover...
and his maternal grandfather Immanuel Stout were involved in politics and government. His uncle Jacob Stout
Jacob Stout
Jacob Stout was an American manufacturer and politician from Little Creek Hundred, in Kent County, Delaware. He was a member of the Federalist Party, who served in the Delaware General Assembly and as Governor of Delaware....
was a 1 term governor of Delaware.
He first became involved in Ohio politics when the state capital was at Chillicothe, and moved with it when the capital changed to Zanesville, then moved back to Chillicothe when the state capital returned there.
In October 1812 he was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives.
In 1815 he was Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Zanesville.
He was a member of the Ohio Senate
Ohio Senate
The Ohio State Senate is the upper house of the Ohio General Assembly, the legislative body for the U.S. state of Ohio. There are 33 State Senators. The state legislature meets in the state capital, Columbus. The President of the Senate presides over the body when in session, and is currently Tom...
from October 1827 until May 1831, when he resigned to become US Charge de Affairs to Chile.
In 1836 he was the Jeffersonian Candidate for Congress from the Zanesville area.
He appears to have been a member of the Van Horne
Isaac Van Horne
Isaac Van Horne was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.-Ancestry:...
faction of the Democratic-Republican Party.
He later was head of his own faction in Ohio politics. His grandson Peter Graham "Bud" Black was the head of a faction of the Ohio Republican Party until 1948.
Marshall of Ohio
Following his service in the War of 1812 (while the conflict was still active), he was appointed Marshall of OhioUnited States Marshals Service
The United States Marshals Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice . The office of U.S. Marshal is the oldest federal law enforcement office in the United States; it was created by the Judiciary Act of 1789...
on 30 Dec 1813 under Pres. Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
. His first task was to march the prisoners taken during the Battle of Lake Erie to Camp Bull (near Chillicothe, Ohio). As part of this job he was in charge of the taking of the US 1820 Census in the State of Ohio. He served as Marshall of Ohio for 8 years.
Diplomatic career
He was appointed Minister to ChileChile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
under President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
.
He negotiated the first US trade treaty with Chile, under which our representative to that country was elevated to the rank of Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
.
Pioneer Ohio industrialist
In 1815 he and his father in law, Gen. Isaac Van HorneIsaac Van Horne
Isaac Van Horne was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.-Ancestry:...
, founded the White Glass Company
White Glass Company
White Glass Company was one of Ohio's early members of the glass industry. It existed from 1815 until approximately 1851.- Beginning :Begun in Zanesville, Ohio at the South West corner of 3rd and Market Streets. It was chartered 13 May 1815 with Isaac Van Horne as President and his son in law Dr....
of Zanesville, Ohio.
This type of company was notoriously difficult to maintain as an enterprise, however White Glass Co. existed well into (and in some form well beyond) the 1820s through several owners and under several names.
The White Glass Company is perhaps best known for producing (now highly collectible) Bottles.
Sources
- Y Bridge City "The Story of Zanesville and Muskingum County, Ohio". Norris F. Schneider, The World Publishing Co., 1950.
- Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: 1956
- Index of US Marshals 1789-1960. Virgil D. White, Waynesboro Tenn: National Historical Publishing Co., 1988.
- Hamm and Allied Families. Joseph M. Brumbley Sr., Wilmington DE: 1981, 380 pp.