William Miller (April 1, 1809 – May 2, 1879) was a politician and farmer from Indiana. He served in the

Indiana House of Representatives The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House memb ...

from 1844 to 1850.

Early life

William Miller was born on April 1, 1809, in

Franklin County, Virginia Franklin County is located in the Blue Ridge foothills of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 54,477. Its county seat is Rocky Mount. Franklin County is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area ...

, to Sarah and Tobias Miller. When he was one year old, Miller moved with his family to

Union County, Indiana Union County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 7,087. The county seat is Liberty. Since 2018, Union County has been included in the Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN Metropolitan St ...

. There he grew up and was educated.

Career

After marrying, Miller moved to

St. Joseph County, Indiana St. Joseph County, commonly called St. Joe County by residents, is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 272,912, making it the fifth-most populous county in Indiana. Formed in 1830, it was n ...

. He ran a farm on Portage Prairie (now German Township). Miller was originally a Whig, but later became a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

. Miller was elected as justice of the peace. He held that position for several years. In 1844, Miller served in the

. He served for three terms, until 1850. He served in the South Bend City Council from 1865 to 1871. In 1868, Miller helped lobby the

Singer Corporation Singer Corporation is an American manufacturer of consumer sewing machines, first established as I. M. Singer & Co. in 1851 by Isaac M. Singer with New York lawyer Edward C. Clark. Best known for its sewing machines, it was renamed Singer Ma ...

to set up a plant in South Bend.

Personal life

Miller married Mary Miller, daughter of Colonel John Miller, in May 1833. They had nine children, including John F., Henry Clay, William H., Horace G., Isaac Newton and Martha. His son John F. served in the Union Army as a major general and served in the Indiana Senate. His son Horace G. worked as postmaster of South Bend. His son Isaac Newton served as county commissioner. In 1858, Miller moved from his farm to Lafayette Boulevard in South Bend. He died on May 2, 1879, in South Bend.

Legacy

According to local historians, Miller Road in South Bend is believed to be named after Miller.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, William 1809 births 1879 deaths People from Franklin County, Virginia People from South Bend, Indiana Members of the Indiana House of Representatives Indiana Whigs Indiana Republicans People from Union County, Indiana 19th-century American politicians Indiana city council members