William Miller (March 16, 1821 – February 21, 1901) was a banker and politician from

South Bend, Indiana South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 United S ...

. He served as

Mayor of South Bend This is a list of mayors of South Bend, Indiana, beginning with South Bend's incorporation as a city on May 22, 1865. William G. George served as the city’s first mayor from 1865 to 1868. Joe Kernan was mayor of South Bend from 1988 to 1997 and ...

from 1872 to 1876 and was on the city council.

Early life

William Miller was born on March 16, 1821, in

Lebanon County, Pennsylvania Lebanon County ( Pennsylvania Dutch: Lebanon Kaundi) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 133,568. Its county seat is the city of Lebanon. The county was formed from portions of Dauphin ...

, to Henry Miller. Miller worked as a clerk in

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...

. Miller and his family moved to

, in August 1837. He attended the Bowman School, a log school house. His family lived at Stull Place in South Bend. His brother was

H. B. Miller H. B. Miller (April 16, 1819 – November 19, 1889) was a politician and newspaperman. He organized the ''Republican'' in Niles, Michigan, ''Michigan Telegraph'' in Kalamazoo, Michigan and the ''Buffalo Telegraph'' in Buffalo, New York. He serv ...

, state senator from New York and founder of the ''Kalamazoo, Michigan Telegraph'' and the ''Buffalo Telegraph''.

Career

Miller worked as a clerk with the Harper Brothers in 1838. In 1846, Miller worked in the dry goods business and clerked for different firms. In 1849, Miller moved to California to engage in gold mining. He remained there for three years. Miller then worked with Dr. John A. Hendricks in contracting and did stone work on bridges and culverts on the

Illinois Central Railroad The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, was a railroad in the Central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois, with New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama. A line also co ...

from Calumet to Kankakee. In 1855, Miller moved from

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

, back to South Bend. Miller worked with

Alexis Coquillard Alexis Coquillard (September 28, 1795 - January 8, 1855) was an American fur trader, explorer, and the founder of South Bend, Indiana. Early life Alexis Coquillard was born on September 28, 1795, in Detroit. He fought in the War of 1812 under ...

in the milling business. After Coquillard's death, Miller formed a partnership with Dr. Hendricks and rebuilt Coquillard's mill. They continued the business until 1869. In 1870, Miller became connected with the Thompson & Wykoff Bank. In 1871, it was organized as the South Bend National Bank. He worked there as cashier for over twenty years and served as the first president. He served as president until his death. Miller served as president of the Peninsular Railroad for three years. He also served as president of the Mishawaka Paper and Pulp Company. Miller was 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 served as

for two terms, from 1872 to 1876. He was succeeded by Alexander N. Thomas. Miller served as mayor during a debate about a replacement water system in South Bend. Miller served in the South Bend City Council.

Personal life

Miller married three times. Miller married Mary Kabbell Butler of

Brentwood, Essex Brentwood is a town in the Borough of Brentwood, in the county of Essex in the East of England. It is in the London commuter belt, situated 20 miles (30 km) east-north-east of Charing Cross and close by the M25 motorway. In 2017, the popula ...

, on February 5, 1874. His wife died on June 29, 1887. Miller also married Mary Groff. One of his children was William F. Miller, a businessman in South Bend. Miller had a stroke on February 17 and died at his home at 321 North Michigan Street in South Bend on February 21, 1901. He was buried at

South Bend City Cemetery The South Bend City Cemetery is a historic cemetery in South Bend, Indiana. History The South Bend City Cemetery was established in 1831, when Lathrop Taylor and Alexis Coquillard donated the land upon which it was built. Jacob Roof was the firs ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, William 1821 births 1901 deaths People from Lebanon County, Pennsylvania Mayors of South Bend, Indiana Indiana city council members Indiana Republicans 19th-century American politicians 20th-century American politicians American bank presidents 19th-century American railroad executives