Description: Inscription in photograph reads: "William Medill. Died Sep. 2 1865. Aged 63 years." Inscription on the back of the monument reads: "William Medill, born New Castle County Del. AD. 1802. Removed to Ohio and commenced practice of law in Lancaster, 1830. During a long and honorable life, he was widely known as a distinguished citizen and able statesman, having held the important public trusts of Member of the Legislature, Speaker of the House, Delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1850, and President of that body, Lieut. Gov. Speaker of the Senate and Governor of the State, Four years in Congress, Assistant Post Mas. General, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, and Comptroller of U.S. Treasury, all of which were administered with signal success. In private life he was kind, courteous and honorable while the purity of his public character was illustrated by preeminent ability, strict integrity, and devotion to the public good." William Medill's monument, in the shape of an obelisk, is located in Elmwood Cemetery in Lancaster. Medill was a dedicated public servant and held the following posts during his illustrious career: Member of the Ohio Legislature from 1835 - 1838; Democrat for Ohio's 9th District in the United States House of Representatives from 1839 -1843; Assistant Post Master General of Ohio in 1845; Commissioner of Indian Affairs from 1845 - 1850, under President James K. Polk; Delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1850; President of the Ohio State Constitutional Convention in 1850; Lieutenant Governor of Ohio in 1852, under Governor Reuben Wood; Acting Governor of Ohio, serving a six months beginning on July 13, 1853 when Wood resigned to become the U.S. Consulate to Chile; Governor of Ohio (22nd) from 1853 - 1856; First Comptroller of the United States Treasury in 1857 - 1861; and other posts as mentioned in the inscription above. William Medill was born in New Castle, PA in Feb 1802 to William and Isabella Medill. His parents were Irish immigrants and owned their own farm. William worked his way through Newark Academy, which later became the University of Delaware. After graduating, he studied law and was admitted to the Delaware bar in 1830. He then moved to Lancaster, Ohio and was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1832. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B09F10_019
Subjects: Monuments--Ohio; Obelisks; Governors--Ohio; Ohio. House of Representatives; United States. Postmaster General; United States. First Comptroller of the Treasury; Medill, William, 1802-1865
Places: Lancaster (Ohio); Fairfield County (Ohio)