Background
William Carr Lane was born in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, on the farm of Presley Carr and Sarah (Stephenson) Lane, third son among their eleven children.
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book
Historical Society of New Mexico. No. 4; Historical Sketch of Governor William Carr Lane. November 1, 1917
( About the Book In historical fiction the plot is set in...)
About the Book In historical fiction the plot is set in the past, and pays attention to the manners, social conditions and other details of the period portrayed. Some authors choose to include famous historical figures in their fictional plots, so that audiences can imagine how those individuals might have responded to the plots and environments established by the author. The Western literary component of this genre is founded in the early 19th century works of such authors as Sir Walter Scott, Honoré de Balzac, James Fenimore Cooper, and Leo Tolstoy. Also in this Book Our offering includes memoirs, or collections of memories that individuals have written about moments or events, both public or private, that took place in their lives. While the assertions made in these works are generally taken to be factual, the biases or perspectives of the authors are often present. Historically, memoirs have been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobiography, however the genre is differentiated in form, since it presents a narrower focus. While a biography or autobiography tells the story "of a life", a memoir generally tells the story "from a life", tending to emphasize touchstone events and turning points in the author's life experience. The authors are referred to as memoirists or memorialists. About us Leopold Classic Library has the goal of making available to readers the classic books that have been out of print for decades. While these books may have occasional imperfections, we consider that only hand checking of every page ensures readable content without poor picture quality, blurred or missing text etc. That's why we: • republish only hand checked books; • that are high quality; • enabling readers to see classic books in original formats; that • are unlikely to have missing or blurred pages. You can search "Leopold Classic Library" in categories of your interest to find other books in our extensive collection. Happy reading!
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William Carr Lane
Edit ProfileEducation
He attended country school and spent two years in Jefferson College and a year in a prothonotary's office. At twenty-one he matriculated in the two-year course in Dickinson College, and then studied medicine in Louisville and Shelbyville, Kentucky. In 1815-1816 he attended lectures at the University of Pennsylvania.
Career
In 1813 Lane volunteered against Tecumseh and was stationed at Fort Harrison, where he became surgeon's mate. He was appointed post surgeon at Fort Harrison on the Wabash River north of Terre Haute, Indiana in 1816. In 1819 he withdrew from the army to practice in St. Louis.
In 1821 Carr Lane, as the settlement of 600 dwellings knew him, was chosen aide-de-camp to Gov. Alexander McNair, and in successive years named quartermaster-general of Missouri and elected (April 5, 1823), first mayor of St. Louis. His vote, 122, against 70 for Auguste Chouteau and 28 for Marie Philip Leduc, indicated decline of the French influence.
Lane's prophetic message to the aldermen urged the establishment of a free school, and that "a suitable system of improvements may always be kept in view" (Darby, post, p. 343). During his first year, wards were established, assessors and health officers appointed, streets defined, and one block even graded and paved. So pleased were the voters they reëlected him annually five times, and nine years later, after they had called him to fill an unexpired term, reëlected him twice more--a record unequaled in St. Louis history.
In addition, in 1826, he was elected representative in the legislature as a Democrat. According to a contemporary (Ibid. , p. 344), Lane, had he so desired, might, at this time, have been United States Senator in place of Thomas Hart Benton, with whom he had joined in establishing the first Episcopal church in St. Louis; but he preferred to stand for the national House of Representatives, since in that body there was only one member from Missouri. His party, however, chose Spencer Pettis as its candidate in his stead. Later Lane opposed Jackson and became a Whig.
During the Black Hawk War he served again as army surgeon.
In 1852 President Fillmore appointed him governor of New Mexico Territory. The noncooperation of the military forces at first made it difficult for him to restore order to the chaos, but his administrative ability and energy eventually won the support of influential citizens. He urged stock raising, objected to the enactment of laws in two languages, and made treaties with the Indians. He revived the policy formerly practiced by the Mexican and Spanish authorities of keeping the Indians quiet by giving them food, but this policy was not upheld by the government at Washington, and its cessation resulted in an increase of Indian outbreaks. Although desirous of obtaining parts of what later became the Gadsden purchase, Lane took no steps toward expansion. Believing he could do more for the territory as its delegate to Congress, he stood for that post, to miss it by a few votes.
At Pierce's election he resigned and returned to St. Louis. His Southern sympathies later made him many enemies. Lane was large, handsome, warmhearted and high-tempered. It is said that, challenged to a duel, he called for lighted powder kegs for the contestants to sit upon to see who would be blown the highest. In his last years he urged a municipal waterworks for St. Louis and published a pamphlet, Water for the City (1860), in which he recommended the Chain of Rocks site which was later adopted. He died in his seventy-fourth year and was buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery, leaving a record as lustrous as that of any St. Louisan of the years before the Civil War.
Achievements
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During his tenure as a St. Louis's first mayor Lane oversaw the first public health system in the city, free public schools, and street improvements, including the paving of Main Street. He helped erect the city's first town hall. He was also instrumental in beautifying the city with fountains and greenery. The City Seal was adopted, and election procedures were written.
Works
book
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Historical Society of New Mexico. No. 4; Historical Sketch of Governor William Carr Lane. November 1, 1917
( About the Book In historical fiction the plot is set in...)
-
Historical Society of New Mexico. No. 4; Historical Sketch of Governor William Carr Lane. November 1, 1917
Connections
Lane married, February 26, 1818, Mary Ewing of Vincennes. They had two daughters and one son.
References
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Born
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Died
January 6, 1863 (aged 73) -
Resting place
Bellefontaine Cemetery, St. Louis -
Nationality
American