William F. Packer
Howard Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
The newspaper editor and publisher, and Governor of the Commonwealth, 1858-61, was born April 2, 1807, in a house which stood nearby. He died, 1870, in Williamsport and is chiefly remembered for his interest in improved transportation facilities.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
William F. Packer rose from newspaper editor and publisher to the governorship of Pennsylvania, serving from 1858 to 1861 in the tense years just before the Civil War. Born near this spot in 1807, he made improved transportation—canals and railroads—the signature cause of his public life, reflecting an era when a state's fortunes rode on its ability to move goods to market. He died in Williamsport in 1870.
Why it matters
His career marks the mid-19th-century faith in internal improvements as the engine of prosperity, and he led Pennsylvania on the eve of the national crisis over slavery and union.
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Related people
- · William F. Packer
Themes & tags
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