William D. Gallagher (1808-1894)

 

William D. Gallagher was an editor, poet, and public official. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but spent most of his youth on a farm near Mount Pleasant, in southern Ohio. After the death of his father, his mother moved the family to Ohio and Gallagher went to school there. He attended Lancaster seminary and was first published in 1824 in the "Literary Gazette."

Some of his earlier work can be seen in his connections with the "Western Tiller," the "Cincinnati Emporium," the "Cincinnati Register," the "Western Minerva," the "Backwoodsman," the "Cincinnatie Mirror," the "Western Journal and Monthly Review," the Western Monthly Magazine and LIterary Journal," the Ohio State Journal," and the "Hesperian."

In 1839, Gallagher was invited by Charles Hammond to become his assitant at the "Cincinnati Gazette." In 1840, Gallaher took over editorship after the death of Hammond. In 1850, he resigned as editor and became private secretary to Thomas Corwin, secretary of the treasury.

His career in politics continued with his backing of Abraham Lincoln in the presidential election of 1860. Later, he was appointed special collector of customs and commercial agent by Lincoln for the Mississippi Valley. After the Civil War, however, Gallagher suffered financial problems and was forced to take a job in clerical work. He was a secretary of the Kentucky Land Company.

Even with this busy life Gallagher still found enough time to publish his first volumes of poetry, "Erato No. I" and "Erato No. II," in 1835. In 1837, "Erato No. III" was released. Gallagher is also known for editing and writing "Selections form the Poetical Literatur of the West"(1841) and "Miami Woods, A Golden Wedding and other Poems"(1881).

William D. Gallagher passed away in Louisville, KY, in 1894.

Information from The National Cyclopedia of American Biography under Flint, Timothy. pages 364-365.

 

Biography of some of William D. Gallagher's works and links to digitized works online

 

Primary Sources for William D. Gallagher

Facts and Conditions of Progress in the North-west. Cincinnati : H.W. Derby & Co., 1850.

Miami woods, A Golden Wedding, and other Poems. Cincinnati, R. Clarke & Co., 1881.

Selections from Poetical Literature of the West . 1841. Introduction by John. T. Flanagan. Ganesville , Florida : Scholars' Facsimiles & Reprints, 1968.

For a sample of his poetry click on the following link
http://oldpoetry.com/authors/William%20Davis%20Gallagher

 

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Last updated May 2, 2005