William Fisher Packer | |
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| 14thGovernor of Pennsylvania | |
| In office January 19, 1858 – January 15, 1861 | |
| Preceded by | James Pollock |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Gregg Curtin |
| 7thAuditor General of Pennsylvania | |
| In office 1842–1845 | |
| Governor | David R. Porter |
| Preceded by | George R. Espy |
| Succeeded by | John N. Purviance |
| Member of thePennsylvania House of Representatives | |
| In office 1847 | |
| Member of thePennsylvania Senate for the12th district | |
| In office 1851–1852 | |
| Preceded by | Henry Fulton |
| Succeeded by | Jacob Samils Haldeman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 2, 1807 |
| Died | September 27, 1870(1870-09-27) (aged 63) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Mary W. Vanderbilt (m. 1829–?) |
| Children | 10 |
| Signature | .png) |
William Fisher Packer (April 2, 1807 – September 27, 1870) was an American politician fromPennsylvania who served as the 14thgovernor of Pennsylvania from 1858 to 1861.[1]
Packer was born inHoward, Pennsylvania[2] to James and Charity Packer. When William was seven years old, his father died, leaving him and his four siblings to help run the house.[3]
At the age of 13 he began work as a printer's apprentice at theSunbury Public Inquirer and later at theBellefonte Patriot. He also worked as a journeyman atSimon Cameron's newspaper the Pennsylvania Intelligencer inHarrisburg.[3]
Packer studied law inWilliamsport, Pennsylvania, under future member of CongressJoseph Biles Anthony but did not practice, choosing instead to stay in the newspaper business.[3] In 1829 he purchased a controlling share and became the editor of theLycoming Gazette which he published until 1836. While working at the Lycoming Gazette, he began an early foray into politics as a major supporter of the construction of theWest Branch of the Pennsylvania Canal.[4] The state legislators in Philadelphia had opposed funding the construction and Packer penned an address to Philadelphia to raise public support for the project. The campaign worked and the Philadelphia delegation reversed their position to support the canal.[3]
Packer married Mary W. Vanderbilt on December 24, 1829. The couple had ten children.[4]
Packer's support for the canal did not go unnoticed and in 1832, he was appointed by the Canal Commission to serve as Superintendent of the canals.[3] The position was abolished in1835 and Packer spent most of that year working for the re-election of GovernorGeorge Wolf and running for thePennsylvania State Senate.[3] A schism in the Democratic Party cost Wolf re-election and Packer a Senate seat.
In 1836, Packer co-foundedThe Keystone, aDemocratic newspaper published inHarrisburg. Packer, through the Keystone, was a supporter ofDavid R. Porter for Governor againstJoseph Ritner in the election of1838. His support of Porter's successful bid helped him earn an appointment to the Board of Canal Commissioners, a powerful post at the time.[3] After he was re-elected, Porter appointed Packer to the post ofPennsylvania Auditor General in 1842.[3]
After an unsuccessful bid for thePennsylvania House of Representatives in 1845, Packer won a seat inPennsylvania House of Representatives in 1847 and served asSpeaker of the House in 1848 and 1849.[5] Packer won re-election in 1848 and then served as a member of thePennsylvania State Senate for the12th district from 1851 to 1852.[2]
In the State Senate, Packer was an ardent supporter of railroad development in Central Pennsylvania, working towards the establishment of theSusquehanna Railroad.[3] At the time, state policy was to restrain railroad development in southern Pennsylvania which would benefit Baltimore rather than Philadelphia. The act to authorize the railroad connected theYork and Cumberland Railroad to cities likeWilliamsport andSunbury and increased their access to regional trade. In 1852, Packer became the first President of the Susquehanna, stepping aside after the line was consolidated into the Northern Central Railway.[3]
During the1856 Presidential Election, friend and fellow PennsylvanianJames Buchanan ran for the Democratic nomination against incumbentFranklin Pierce and SenatorStephen Douglas. Packer worked hard for his nomination and election.[6] Buchanan won the nomination at the1856 Democratic National Convention inCincinnati, Ohio, and went on to win the Presidency over RepublicanJohn C. Frémont andKnow Nothing candidate and former PresidentMillard Fillmore.
In1857, Packer was nominated as the Democratic Party Candidate for Governor. He was opposed byDavid Wilmot, author of theWilmot Proviso which aimed to ban the expansion of slavery to territories acquired from Mexico, and Isaac Hazlehurst of theNative American Party.[7] ThePanic of 1857 had crippled the nation's economy, including the Pennsylvania iron industry. With strong support for tariffs in more normal times, the Panic increased Pennsylvania's support for high tariffs, a stance which hurt the pro-free trade Wilmot.[7] The question of the day, however, remained the issue of slavery in Kansas. Packer forwarded a letter to his friend, President Buchanan, supporting the Kansas-Nebraska Act, but opposing an expansion of slavery in that state without a free and open process.[3] The split of the Republicans and Know Nothings made it difficult to defeat the united Democrats and Packer swept into office.[7]
A large crowd attended his inaugural ceremonies on January 19, 1858.[8]
In dealing with the economic crisis caused by the Panic, Packer vehemently blamed banks and the free issue of paper money over gold and silver coinage.[6] As part of a recovery plan, the Governor approved legislation to requiring state banks to limit the issue of paper currency to amounts covered by real security deposited with the state.[6]
In 1859, Packer sought to end the state's involvement in construction and management of canals and railroads, selling off the state's investments to theSunbury and Erie Railroad.[6]
Governor Packer was a proponent of public schools and supported the new public school system with funds for teacher training. Packer also used his veto power to stop attacks on the new public education system by forces in the legislature.[6]
As his term came to an end, southern states had begun seceding from the union. Packer recommended that the nation's differences be addressed in a national convention.[6] He opposed secession and, in his final address to the General Assembly, he stated, "It is therefore clear, that there is no Constitutional right of secession. Secession is only another form of nullification. Either, when attempted to be carried out by force, is rebellion, and should be treated as such, by those whose sworn duty it is to maintain the supremacy of the Constitution and laws of the United States."[3]
Packer retired from public life after the end of his term and died September 27, 1870, in Williamsport.[9] He is interred at Williamsport Cemetery.
Packer Park - A neighborhood along Packer Avenue inSouth Philadelphia.
Packer Hall - A residence hall on theUniversity Park campus of thePennsylvania State University.
Packer Street Williamsport PA
| Party political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Pennsylvania 1857 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Pennsylvania 1858–1861 | Succeeded by |
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