William Tharp (November 27, 1803 – January 9, 1865) was an American farmer and politician from
Milford Milford may refer to:
Place names Canada
* Milford (Annapolis), Nova Scotia
* Milford (Halifax), Nova Scotia
* Milford, Ontario
England
* Milford, Derbyshire
* Milford, Devon, a place in Devon
* Milford on Sea, Hampshire
* Milford, Shro ...
in
Kent County, Delaware
Kent County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of the 2020 census, the population was 181,851, making it the least populous county in Delaware. The county seat is Dover, the state capital of Delaware. It i ...
. He was a member of the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
, who served in the
Delaware General Assembly
The Delaware General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the Delaware Senate with 21 senators and the Delaware House of Representatives with 41 representatives. It meets at Legisla ...
and as
Governor of Delaware
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...
.
Early life and family
Tharp was born in
Farmington, Delaware
Farmington is a town in Kent County, Delaware, United States. It is part of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 110 at the 2010 census.
History
Farmington was originally settled as Flatiron in 1855 when the rai ...
, the son of James and Eunice Fleming Tharp. His great grandfather had settled near
Frankford, Delaware
Frankford is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. The population was 847 at the 2010 census, an increase of 18.6% over the previous decade. It is part of the Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Loca ...
in 1735. His father died in 1829 and he married Mary A. Johnson about the same time. They had five children: Ruth, Mary Elizabeth, Martina, Williamina, and Ann Purnell. Through his wife he inherited his first home on U.S. Highway 13 at
Farmington
Farmington may refer to:
Places Canada
*Farmington, British Columbia
* Farmington, Nova Scotia (disambiguation)
United States
*Farmington, Arkansas
*Farmington, California
*Farmington, Connecticut
*Farmington, Delaware
* Farmington, Georgia
* ...
, and began the accumulation of a considerable amount of farmland which he managed for the rest of his life. That home, known as the
Tharp House, was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1973.
When he was elected governor in 1847, the family moved to
Milford Milford may refer to:
Place names Canada
* Milford (Annapolis), Nova Scotia
* Milford (Halifax), Nova Scotia
* Milford, Ontario
England
* Milford, Derbyshire
* Milford, Devon, a place in Devon
* Milford on Sea, Hampshire
* Milford, Shro ...
and lived at the northeast corner of Church and Front Streets. They were members of the Presbyterian Church and among the organizers of a new congregation in
Milford Milford may refer to:
Place names Canada
* Milford (Annapolis), Nova Scotia
* Milford (Halifax), Nova Scotia
* Milford, Ontario
England
* Milford, Derbyshire
* Milford, Devon, a place in Devon
* Milford on Sea, Hampshire
* Milford, Shro ...
in 1849.
Delaware politics
Throughout the 19th century Delaware politics was characterized by a conservative down state, agrarian and small business majority, in opposition to a
Wilmington based industrialist minority. This majority was led into the
Whig Party by
John M. Clayton. Having lost three straight elections for governor, the minority
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
found a candidate of their own from down state in Tharp.
Governor of Delaware
Tharp was elected to the state senate and served in the 1839/40 and 1841/42 sessions. He sought reelection to the state senate in 1842, but after a months long recount, was found to have lost by 1 vote. He then ran for governor in 1844, but lost to the
Whig Party candidate,
Thomas Stockton
Thomas Stockton (April 1, 1781 – March 2, 1846) was an American soldier and politician from New Castle in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a veteran of the War of 1812, and a member of the Whig Party, who served as Governor of Delaware. ...
. Because Stockton died in office another gubernatorial election was held in 1846, and Tharp was finally elected, defeating
Peter F. Causey, the Whig Party candidate. Although he was elected along with a Whig Party
General Assembly
A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company.
Specific examples of general assembly include:
Churches
* General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presby ...
, his term began the long dominance of the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
for the remainder of the 19th century. Tharp served a full term as governor from January 19, 1847 until January 21, 1851.
The
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
began shortly before Tharp took office, and it was a war he and most Delawareans questioned the need for. Nevertheless, like the unwanted
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
, Tharp and Delaware in general responded to the recruiter, and many served honorably from
Buena Vista Buena Vista, meaning "good view" in Spanish, may refer to:
Places Canada
*Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, with the name being originally derived from “Buena Vista”
*Buena Vista, Saskatchewan
*Buena Vista, Saskatoon, a neighborhood in ...
to
Vera Cruz. At home Delaware finally handed over
Pea Patch Island
Pea Patch Island is a small island, approximately 1 mi (1.6 km) long, in the U.S. state of Delaware, located in the mid channel of the Delaware River near its entrance into Delaware Bay. It is a low, marshy island, located in New Castle ...
in the
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...
to the
U.S. government, ultimately for the building of
Fort Delaware
Fort Delaware is a former harbor defense facility, designed by chief engineer Joseph Gilbert Totten and located on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River.Dobbs, Kelli W., et al. During the American Civil War, the Union used Fort Delaware as a ...
. Following his term Tharp retired from public service and in 1852, was named treasurer of the
Delaware Railroad
The Delaware Railroad was the major railroad in the US state of Delaware, traversing almost the entire state north to south. It was planned in 1836 and built in the 1850s. It began in Porter and was extended south through Dover, Seaford and fin ...
.
Death and legacy
Tharp died at
Milford Milford may refer to:
Place names Canada
* Milford (Annapolis), Nova Scotia
* Milford (Halifax), Nova Scotia
* Milford, Ontario
England
* Milford, Derbyshire
* Milford, Devon, a place in Devon
* Milford on Sea, Hampshire
* Milford, Shro ...
and is buried there at the
Christ Episcopal Churchyard. He was the grandfather of future Governor
William T. Watson
William Tharp Watson (June 22, 1849 – April 14, 1917) was an American banker and politician from Milford, in Kent County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, who served in the Delaware General A ...
. Tharp is described as "a very successful and progressive farmer...a strong man intellectually, a substantial citizen, prominent in his community and highly respected by all the people."
[History of the State of Delaware, Conrad, Henry C.]
Almanac
Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1. Members of the
Delaware General Assembly
The Delaware General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the Delaware Senate with 21 senators and the Delaware House of Representatives with 41 representatives. It meets at Legisla ...
took office the first Tuesday of January. State senators have a four-year term. The governor takes office the third Tuesday of January and has a four-year term.
Notes
References
*
*
*
*
Images
Hall of Governors Portrait Gallery ''Portrait courtesy of Historical and Cultural Affairs, Dover.''
External links
Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States*
Places with more information
*
Delaware Historical Society
The Delaware Historical Society began in 1864 as an effort to preserve documents from the Civil War. Since then, it has expanded into a statewide historical institution with several buildings, including Old Town Hall and the Delaware History Muse ...
website 505 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801; (302) 655-7161
*
University of Delaware
The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 mas ...
Library website 181 South College Avenue, Newark, Delaware 19717; (302) 831-2965
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tharp, William
1803 births
1865 deaths
19th-century American Episcopalians
People from Kent County, Delaware
Farmers from Delaware
Democratic Party Delaware state senators
Democratic Party governors of Delaware
Burials in Kent County, Delaware
19th-century American politicians
People from Milford, Delaware