Thomas Elder (January 30, 1767April 29, 1853) was a Pennsylvania lawyer and Harrisburg businessman. He served one term as state Attorney General. His residence after 1835 was the former mansion of the

Harris Harris may refer to: Places Canada * Harris, Ontario * Northland Pyrite Mine (also known as Harris Mine) * Harris, Saskatchewan * Rural Municipality of Harris No. 316, Saskatchewan Scotland * Harris, Outer Hebrides (sometimes called the Isle o ...

family. It is currently known as the John Harris-Simon Cameron House and is a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

Early life

Elder was born the son of the Reverend John Elder and his second wife, Mary Simpson. The senior Elder was born, raised, and educated in Edinburgh. In

Paxtang, Pennsylvania Paxtang is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 1,640. The borough is a suburb of Harrisburg and is one of the earliest colonial settlements in South Central Pennsylvania. History ...

, he became known as the "Fighting Pastor" for organizing an anti-Indian militia, known as the

Paxton Boys The Paxton Boys were Pennsylvania's most aggressive colonists according to historian Kevin Kenny. While not many specifics are known about the individuals in the group their overall profile is clear. Paxton Boys Lived in hill country northwest of ...

Career

He was educated at the

Academy of Philadelphia The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universiti ...

, and admitted to the Dauphin County bar in 1791. He volunteered to help suppress the

Whiskey Rebellion The Whiskey Rebellion (also known as the Whiskey Insurrection) was a violent tax protest in the United States beginning in 1791 and ending in 1794 during the presidency of George Washington. The so-called "whiskey tax" was the first tax impo ...

but declined commissions until afterwards, when he was made lieutenant colonel. He practiced law for over forty years. He was active in Harrisburg affairs and was notably "the prominent and leading spirit" behind organizing the Harrisburg Bridge Company, which built (1814-1820) and ran the first Susquehanna-spanning bridge. He was elected (1816) and re-elected by the directors as the company's first president until he resigned in 1846. He was president of the Harrisburg Bank from 1816 until his death. Elder served as state Attorney General from 1820 to 1823. Afterwards, he always refused political offices although he maintained an interest in politics.

William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was an American military officer and politician who served as the ninth president of the United States. Harrison died just 31 days after his inauguration in 1841, and had the shortest pres ...

's "

log cabin campaign The 1840 United States presidential election was the 14th quadrennial presidential election, held from Friday, October 30 to Wednesday, December 2, 1840. Economic recovery from the Panic of 1837 was incomplete, and Whig nominee William Henry Har ...

" was a suggestion of Elder.

Personal life

Elder married Catherine Cox in 1799. A daughter, Mary R., would later marry

Amos Ellmaker Amos Ellmaker (February 2, 1787 – November 28, 1851) was a U.S. politician, attorney, and judge from Pennsylvania. He served as the Pennsylvania Attorney General and was the Anti-Masonic vice presidential candidate in the 1832 presidential ele ...

. Catherine died in 1810. Elder then married Elizabeth Shippen Jones in 1813, who would outlive him.

Early life

Career

Personal life

Notes

Further reading