James Whitcomb
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{{Infobox Politician
| name =James Whitcomb
| image =Jameswhitcombindiana.jpg
| order =Eighth
|lieutenant = [[Jesse D. Bright]], [[Paris C. Dunning]]
| office =Governor of Indiana
| predecessor = [[Samuel Bigger]]
| successor = [[Paris C. Dunning]]
| term_start =[[December 6]], [[1843]]
| term_end =[[December 26]], [[1848]]
||birth_date= [[December 1]], [[1795]]
|birth_place= [[Windsor County, Vermont]]
|death_date= [[October 4]], [[1852]]
|death_place= [[New York City, New York]]
|party = Democrat
| office2 =[[Indiana State Senate]]
| term_start2 =[[December 5]] [[1830]]
| term_end2 =[[December 4]] [[1831]]
| term_start3 =[[December 5]] [[1832]]
| term_end3 =[[December 4]] [[1836]]
| office4 =[[United States Senate]]
| term_start4 =[[March 3]] [[1849]]
| term_end4 =[[October 4]], [[1852]]
}}
'''James Whitcomb''' ([[December 1]], [[1795]]–[[October 4]], [[1852]]) was a [[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[United States Senator]] and [[governor of Indiana]]. He died of a chronic disease in 1852.
==Biography==
===Early life===
James Whitcomb was born in [[Windsor County, Vermont]] on December 1, 1795. While still a boy his family moved to [[Cincinnati, Ohio]] where they farmed land. Whitcomb loved to read books and many times his father would discourage him from reading hoping he we become a farmer. He moved to [[Bloomington, Indiana]] in 1824.<ref>Biographical and Historical Sketches of Early Indiana, By William Wesley Woollen, Pg 84</ref> Whitcomb was noted as a heavy user of snuff [[cigarette]]s.<ref>Biographical and Historical Sketches of Early Indiana, By William Wesley Woollen, Pg 88</ref>
===Public life===
Whitcomb served as prosecuting attorney for [[Monroe County, Indiana]] (1826-1829); a member of the [[Indiana Senate]] (1830-1831 and 1832-1836); and [[Commissioner of the General Land Office]] (1836-1841, appointed by President [[Andrew Jackson]]). Upon resigning from the Land Office in 1841, Whitcomb moved to [[Terre Haute, Indiana|Terre Haute]], where he eventually launched his campaign as the Democratic gubernatorial candidate.
In 1843 he authored a pamphlet entitled "Facts for the People" in which he made a case against the federal government adopting protective tariffs. That year he was nominated be the Democrat candidate for governor. He defeated incumbent [[Samuel Bigger]] in a close election. It was under his governorship that the Indiana Hospital for the Insane, the Indiana Asylum for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb, and the Indiana Institute for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb, were founded.
Upon his election he found the government coffers nearly empty as the state had exhausted itself in the in an attempt to recover from overspending on internal improvements in the 1830s. His term also saw a solution to the state's debt problems. With more than $13 million in debt, the state could no longer even make interest payments. [[James Lanier]], a director of the [[Bank of Indiana]] was sent to [[London]] to negotiate with the state's bondholders. In exchange for cutting the bond value by 50%, the state would liquidate all the public works, transferring ownership of all railroads and canals, except the [[Wabash and Erie Canal]] to the bondholders. The act ruined the state's credit, but it allowed it escape the crippling debt which would have bankrupted the state before the year was over.<ref>{{cite book|title=Indiana and Indianans|author=Jacob Piatt Dunn|year=1919|publisher=American Historical Society|pages=416}}</ref><ref>''The History of the State of Indiana'', By William Henry Smith, 719-720</ref>
Whitcomb was also responsible for meeting the military quotas set forth for Indiana during the [[Mexican-American War]]. The state was ill equipped for the war, the militia system had been abandoned since the threat of Indian raids had ceased, and the state arsenal war nearly devoid of weapon. The conflict had been unforeseen and no money was appropriate for the expense. With the state's credit ruined, the prospect of raising money outside of the state to meet the expenses was unlikely. On May 26, Wallace took a personal loan for $10,000 from the [[Bank of Indiana]]'s Madison branch which he used to purchase arms for the the state's regiments. The same day he sent letters to other branches of the bank requesting equal sums of money. For his role as a wartime governor, a bronze statue of Whitcomb would be placed in [[Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (Indianapolis)|Monument Circle]] in Indianapolis.
Whitcomb's most unpopular act as governor was his refusal to reaapoint [[Indiana Supreme Court]] [[List of Indiana Supreme Court Justices|Justices]] [[Jeremiah Sullivan]] and Dewey. Whitcomb criticized them for allowing the docket to get backed up and claimed that younger men were required to catch it back up.<ref>{{cite book|title=Indiana and Indianans|author=Jacob Piatt Dunn|year=1919|publisher=American Historical Society|pages=429}}</ref>
Whitcomb was only briefly married. He was wed to the widow Martha Ann Hurst. She died shortly after giving birth to his daughter Claudia Whitcomb on [[July 17]], [[1847]].<ref>''Biographical and Historical Sketches of Early Indiana'', By William Wesley Woollen, Pg 92</ref>
Whitcomb was a very active Mason. He was the first man knighted in Indiana. The honor was conferred upon him [[May 20]], 1848. He organized a masonic lodge which for several years met in his home. He was always proud of his relationship with the Masons.<ref>''Biographical and Historical Sketches of Early Indiana'', By William Wesley Woollen, Pg 92</ref>
In 1849 he was elected by the legislature to become a member of the [[United States Senate]] and he did not seek reelection as governor. He he served in the Senate from 1849 until his death in 1852. He became chronically diseased and sought medical treatment in [[New York City]].<ref>The disease was "Gravel" according to ''Biographical and Historical Sketches of Early Indiana'', By William Wesley Woollen, Pg 85</ref> He died in in New York City on [[October 4]] 1862. His remains where returned to [[Indianapolis]] where he was buried in the Greenlawn Cemetery.<ref>''Biographical and Historical Sketches of Early Indiana'', By William Wesley Woollen, Pg 85</ref>
[[James Whitcomb Riley]] was named after Governor Whitcomb.
== References ==
<references/>
==External links==
* [http://www.statelib.lib.in.us/www/ihb/govportraits/whitcombj.html Biography and Portrait from Indiana State Library]
* [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=W000349 Profile from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]
*[http://visions.indstate.edu/cgi-bin/showfile.exe?CISOROOT=/vchs&CISOPTR=648 Biographical profile written by Mike McCormick for First Financial Bank in Wabash Valley Profiles
{{start box}}
{{succession box|title=[[List of Governors of Indiana|Governor of Indiana]]|before=[[Samuel Bigger]]|after=[[Paris C. Dunning]]|years=[[December 6]], [[1843]] – [[December 26]], [[1848]]}}
{{U.S. Senator box
|state=Indiana
|class=3
|before=[[Edward A. Hannegan]]
|after=[[Charles W. Cathcart]]
|alongside=[[Jesse D. Bright]]
|years=1849–1852}}
{{end box}}
{{INGovernors}}
{{USSenIN}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitcomb, James}}
[[Category:1795 births]]
[[Category:1852 deaths]]
[[Category:Governors of Indiana]]
[[Category:Indiana Democrats]]
[[Category:James Whitcomb Riley]]
[[Category:United States Senators from Indiana]]
[[de:James Whitcomb]]