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 ...

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

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

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. His ...

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

Paxton Boys The Paxton Boys, also known as the Paxtang Boys or the Paxton Rangers, were a mob of settlers that murdered 20 unarmed Conestoga in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in December 1763. This group of vigilantes from Lancaster and Cumberland counti ...

Career

He was educated at the Academy of Philadelphia, 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 the ninth president of the United States, serving from March 4 to April 4, 1841, the shortest presidency in U.S. history. He was also the first U.S. president to die in office, causin ...

's " log cabin campaign" was a suggestion of Elder.

Personal life

Elder married Catherine Cox in 1799. A daughter, Mary R., would later marry Amos Ellmaker. Catherine died in 1810. Elder then married Elizabeth Shippen Jones in 1813, who would outlive him.

Early life

Career

Personal life

Notes

Further reading