J. Donald Cameron
Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
U.S. Senator, 1877-97. Secretary of War under Ulysses Grant, 1876-77. President, Northern Central R.R., 1863-74. Son of Simon Cameron. His mansion here, acquired 1870, had many visitors and was the scene of major political and business decisions.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
The mansion that once stood here belonged to a Pennsylvania powerbroker who inherited and expanded one of the era's great political machines. He ran a major railroad through the Civil War years, served briefly as Secretary of War under President Grant, and then held a U.S. Senate seat for two decades. Following his father Simon Cameron into the family's dominance of state politics, he made his Harrisburg home a stage for the deal-making that defined Gilded Age America.
Why it matters
His career captures the Gilded Age fusion of railroads, patronage, and machine politics that ran both Pennsylvania and the nation.
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Related people
- · J. Donald Cameron
- · Simon Cameron
- · Ulysses S. Grant
Themes & tags
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