David Hillis (1785 – July 8, 1845) was an American politician who served as the seventh

Lieutenant Governor of Indiana The lieutenant governor of Indiana is a Constitution of Indiana, constitutional office in the US state of Indiana. Republican Party (United States), Republican Micah Beckwith, who assumed office January 13, 2025, is the incumbent. The office hol ...

from 1837 to 1840. Hillis was born in Washington County,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. He settled in

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

and served in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

in a mounted ranger company under Captain

Williamson Dunn Williamson Dunn (December 25, 1781 – November 11, 1854) was an American judge and politician in the early history of Indiana. He served as the third Speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives. Dunn is credited with having founded the tow ...

. A Whig, Hillis was a representative for Jefferson County 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 mem ...

beginning in 1823. In 1832, Hillis ran for a seat in the

Indiana Senate The Indiana State Senate is the upper house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The Senate is composed of 50 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. Senators serve four-year ...

, defeating Williamson Dunn, the former captain of the ranger company Hillis served in. In 1837,

Indiana Democrats Indiana ( ) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the south and southeast, and the Wabash Riv ...

tried to encourage Hillis to run against David Wallace for the Whig nomination in the race. Hillis declined to contest the Whig nomination and later became the Whig candidate for Lieutenant Governor that same year. After being elected to the office of Lieutenant Governor, Hillis resigned his seat in the Senate and was succeeded by Dunn. Hillis served as Lieutenant Governor under Wallace from 1837 to 1840, serving during the

Panic of 1837 The Panic of 1837 was a financial crisis in the United States that began a major depression (economics), depression which lasted until the mid-1840s. Profits, prices, and wages dropped, westward expansion was stalled, unemployment rose, and pes ...

and amid a controversy within state politics over

internal improvements Internal improvements is the term used historically in the United States for public works from the end of the American Revolution through much of the 19th century, mainly for the creation of a transportation infrastructure: roads, turnpikes, can ...

. David Hillis was the father of David Burke Hillis, born in Jefferson County in 1835. David Burke Hillis was a medical doctor and merchant who settled in Keokuk,

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

and served in the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

first as aide-de-camp to Iowa Governor Samuel J. Kirkwood and then as second colonel of the 17th Iowa Infantry Regiment.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hillis, David 1785 births 1845 deaths Lieutenant governors of Indiana Indiana Whigs Members of the Indiana House of Representatives People from Jefferson County, Indiana People from Indiana in the War of 1812 Indiana state senators 19th-century members of the Indiana General Assembly