Orville L. Holley
Encyclopedia
Orville Luther Holley was an American writer, newspaper editor, historian and politician.
from Harvard University
in 1813.
From May 1817 to April 1819, he edited the American Monthly Magazine and Critical Review in New York with Horatio Bigelow.
From July 1823 to 1826, and from 1827 to 1831, he edited the Troy
Sentinel where he published in December 1823 anonymously a poem now better known as The Night Before Christmas but to which he gave the title Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas
.
In 1836 he edited the Western Repository and Genesee
Advertiser and absorbed the Canandaigua
Freeman.
As a Whig, he was New York State Surveyor General
from 1838 to 1842. He was elected in 1838 by joint ballot of the State Legislature defeating the incumbent William Campbell
. In 1841, he was re-elected to another term of three years, but in 1842 all state officers were removed by the new Democratic majority.
Canal Commissioner Myron Holley
and President of Transylvania University Horace Holley were his brothers.
Life
He was the son of Luther Holley (1752-1824) and Sarah Dakin Holley (b. 1755). He graduated as Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1813.
From May 1817 to April 1819, he edited the American Monthly Magazine and Critical Review in New York with Horatio Bigelow.
From July 1823 to 1826, and from 1827 to 1831, he edited the Troy
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
Sentinel where he published in December 1823 anonymously a poem now better known as The Night Before Christmas but to which he gave the title Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas
A Visit from St. Nicholas
"A Visit from St. Nicholas", also known as "The Night Before Christmas" and "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" from its first line, is a poem first published anonymously in 1823 and generally attributed to Clement Clarke Moore, although the claim has also been made that it was written by Henry...
.
In 1836 he edited the Western Repository and Genesee
Genesee, New York
Genesee is a town in Allegany County, New York, United States. The population was 1,803 at the 2000 census.The Town of Genesee is in the southwest corner of the county, southeast of Olean, New York.-History:The first settler arrived around 1823...
Advertiser and absorbed the Canandaigua
Canandaigua (city), New York
Canandaigua is a city in Ontario County, New York, USA, of which it is the county seat. The population was 11,264 at the 2000 census...
Freeman.
As a Whig, he was New York State Surveyor General
New York State Engineer and Surveyor
The New York State Engineer and Surveyor was a state cabinet officer in the State of New York between 1848 and 1926. During the re-organization of the state government under Governor Al Smith, the office was abolished and its responsibilities transferred to the Department of Public Works which was...
from 1838 to 1842. He was elected in 1838 by joint ballot of the State Legislature defeating the incumbent William Campbell
William Campbell (NY surveyor)
For other persons with a similar name see William Campbell William Campbell was an American physician, merchant, surveyor and politician from New York.-Life:...
. In 1841, he was re-elected to another term of three years, but in 1842 all state officers were removed by the new Democratic majority.
Canal Commissioner Myron Holley
Myron Holley
Myron Holley was an American politician who had a large part in the construction of the Erie Canal.-Life:...
and President of Transylvania University Horace Holley were his brothers.
Works
- The New York State Register for 1843 edited by O. L. Holley (J. Disturnell, Albany NY, 1843)
- The New-York State Register for 1845 edited by Orville Luther Holley, George Roberts Perkins, C. Van Benthuysen (J. Disturnell, New York, 1845)
- The New York State Register for 1847 edited by Orville Luther Holley (J. Disturnell, New York NY, 1847)
- A Description of the City of New York (New York, 1847)
- The Life of Benjamin FranklinBenjamin FranklinDr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
(John Philbrick, Boston, 1855, 468 pages; republished in 2007 by Lightning Source Inc, ISBN 0548492492 , ISBN 9780548492499 , 492 pages)
Sources
- The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (pages 37f; Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858)
- http://www.tfaoi.com/aa/6aa/6aa169.htm History of the poem
- http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nysource/noo/news01.htm Newspaper history, at RootsWeb
- http://www.gencircles.com/users/susanham/2/data/9 Holley genealogy, at GenCircles
- http://home.eznet.net/~dminor/NYNY1836.html Newspaper transcriptions
- http://surnamesite.com/harvard/harvard1813.htm Harvard graduates