William Hiester

Hon. William Hiester, Legislator and Politician, was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, October 10th, 1790. Some six members of his family had occupied seats in Congress, among them his uncle, General Daniel Hiester, who sat in the 1st, 2d, 3d and 4th Congresses from Pennsylvania, and in the 7th and 8th from Maryland, to which State he had removed, and who died in Washington during the session of the 8th Congress, in 1804. William Hiester, after due preparation, pursued an irregular course at Dickinson College, and was probably a classmate of Judges Grier and Hayes. He removed to Lancaster county, about 1822, and having settled at New Holland married Lucy E., daughter of Isaac Ellmaker, of that place. He early entered into politics, and became one of the first advocates of the Anti-Masonic movement; he was Secretary of the great Anti-Masonic meeting at New Holland, in 1828. He was the opponent of James Buchanan for Congress the same year, but being defeated, was renominated and elected in 1830, and, having been twice re-elected, served continuously until 1837. In 1836, he was elected a member of the Constitutional Reform Convention which assembled in Harrisburg, in May, 1837, and adjourned February 22d, 1838. He was elected State Senator in 1840, and was chosen Speaker of the Senate in 1842. During all his public career he was attentive to the interests of his constituents and made a pure and noble record. He presided at the great Whig Convention held in Lancaster, July 29th, 1843, which advocated the claims of Henry Clay for the Presidency, and became a Presidential Elector in 1844. The same year he was the unanimous choice of Lancaster county for Governor, but he declined to allow his name to be used. He was a man of ability, spoke both English and German with great fluency, and enjoyed the unlimited confidence of the people. His stainless purity and sterling integrity caused him to be highly respected and admired, while his affability and kindness won for him a large circle of devoted friends. His death, on October 14th, 1853, cast a shadow over the whole community.

Source: The Biographical Encyclopedia of Pennsylvania of the Nineteenth Century. Philadelphia: Galaxy Publishing Co., 1874, pp. 333.

Contributed by: Nancy.