Columbus Delano
Encyclopedia
Columbus Delano, was a lawyer
and a statesman
and a member of the prominent Delano family
.
At the age of eight, Columbus Delano's family moved to Mount Vernon
in Knox County, Ohio
, a place he would call home for the rest of his life. After completing his primary education, he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1831. He then set up his practice in Mount Vernon, going on to act as the prosecuting attorney for Knox County.
A member of the Whig Party, Delano became active in politics and in 1844 was elected to the United States House of Representatives
as a Whig. After serving his two year term he chose not to run again, instead focusing on Ohio politics, launching an unsuccessful bid for the governorship in 1847.
With the demise of the Whig party, Columbus Delano became an Ohio delegate to the Republican National Convention
in 1860, supporting Abraham Lincoln
's nomination as President. The following year he served as State commissary general and in 1862 ran for the United States Senate
, losing by only two votes to Benjamin Wade
. The next year, he was successful in a bid to become a member of the State house of representatives. After completing his term, Delano remained active in party politics and was appointed Commissioner of Internal Revenue
in March 1869. He served in that position until November 1, 1870 when President Ulysses S. Grant
appointed him Secretary of the Interior
.
With the Interior department's varied and diverse responsibilities increasing at a rapid rate, it had become a place with numerous administrative problems. For the department head, controlling the bureaus and shaping policy was a daunting task and during Delano's time as Secretary, he faced many problems but managed to last longer in the job than any other 19th-century incumbent. However, the corruption that permeated much of President Grant's administration became especially rampant with bogus agents in the Bureau of Indian Affairs
and fraudulent clerks in the Patent Office
during Delano's tenure, and it ultimately led to Delano resigning his position on October 15, 1875. Delano resigned because of evidence that his son, John Delano, had been given partnerships in surveying contracts over which the Interior Department had control. In addition, Delano had taken bribes in order to secure fraudulent land grants.
During his tenure as Secretary of the Interior, the town of Delano, California
, founded on July 14, 1873, was named in his honor. On his resignation from Grant's cabinet, Delano returned to Mount Vernon where for the next twenty years he served as president of the First National Bank of Mount Vernon. A long time trustee of Kenyon College
in Gambier, Ohio
, where an LL. D degree had been conferred on him, he endowed Delano hall. His Lakeholm mansion, built in 1871 at the outskirts of Mount Vernon, is now part of Mount Vernon Nazarene University
.
Columbus Delano died in 1896 and was interred in Mound View Cemetery in Mount Vernon, Ohio.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and a statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
and a member of the prominent Delano family
Delano family
The progenitor of the Delano family in the Americas was Philippe de Lannoy whose family name was anglicized to Delano. The 19-year-old Pilgrim of Flemish descent arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts on November 9, 1621 on the second Pilgrim ship, Fortune...
.
At the age of eight, Columbus Delano's family moved to Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon, Ohio
Mount Vernon is a city in Knox County, Ohio, United States. The population was 16,990 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Knox County. The city is named after Mount Vernon, the plantation owned by George Washington.-History:...
in Knox County, Ohio
Knox County, Ohio
Knox County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of 2010, the population was 60,921. Its county seat is Mount Vernon and is named for Henry Knox, an officer in the American Revolutionary War who was later the first Secretary of War....
, a place he would call home for the rest of his life. After completing his primary education, he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1831. He then set up his practice in Mount Vernon, going on to act as the prosecuting attorney for Knox County.
A member of the Whig Party, Delano became active in politics and in 1844 was elected to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
as a Whig. After serving his two year term he chose not to run again, instead focusing on Ohio politics, launching an unsuccessful bid for the governorship in 1847.
With the demise of the Whig party, Columbus Delano became an Ohio delegate to the Republican National Convention
Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States. Convened by the Republican National Committee, the stated purpose of the convocation is to nominate an official candidate in an upcoming U.S...
in 1860, supporting Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
's nomination as President. The following year he served as State commissary general and in 1862 ran for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, losing by only two votes to Benjamin Wade
Benjamin Wade
Benjamin Franklin "Bluff" Wade was a U.S. lawyer and United States Senator. In the Senate, he was associated with the Radical Republicans of that time.-Early life:...
. The next year, he was successful in a bid to become a member of the State house of representatives. After completing his term, Delano remained active in party politics and was appointed Commissioner of Internal Revenue
Commissioner of Internal Revenue
The Commissioner of Internal Revenue is the head of the Internal Revenue Service , a bureau within the United States Department of the Treasury.The office of Commissioner was created by Congress by the Revenue Act of 1862...
in March 1869. He served in that position until November 1, 1870 when President Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
appointed him Secretary of the Interior
United States Secretary of the Interior
The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...
.
With the Interior department's varied and diverse responsibilities increasing at a rapid rate, it had become a place with numerous administrative problems. For the department head, controlling the bureaus and shaping policy was a daunting task and during Delano's time as Secretary, he faced many problems but managed to last longer in the job than any other 19th-century incumbent. However, the corruption that permeated much of President Grant's administration became especially rampant with bogus agents in the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
and fraudulent clerks in the Patent Office
Patent office
A patent office is a governmental or intergovernmental organization which controls the issue of patents. In other words, "patent offices are government bodies that may grant a patent or reject the patent application based on whether or not the application fulfils the requirements for...
during Delano's tenure, and it ultimately led to Delano resigning his position on October 15, 1875. Delano resigned because of evidence that his son, John Delano, had been given partnerships in surveying contracts over which the Interior Department had control. In addition, Delano had taken bribes in order to secure fraudulent land grants.
During his tenure as Secretary of the Interior, the town of Delano, California
Delano, California
Delano's climate is characteristic of the San Joaquin Valley. The weather is hot and dry during the summer and cool and damp in winter. Frequent ground fog known regionally as "tule fog" can obscure vision. Record temperatures range between 115°F and 14°F...
, founded on July 14, 1873, was named in his honor. On his resignation from Grant's cabinet, Delano returned to Mount Vernon where for the next twenty years he served as president of the First National Bank of Mount Vernon. A long time trustee of Kenyon College
Kenyon College
Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, founded in 1824 by Bishop Philander Chase of The Episcopal Church, in parallel with the Bexley Hall seminary. It is the oldest private college in Ohio...
in Gambier, Ohio
Gambier, Ohio
Gambier is a village in Knox County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,871 at the 2000 census.Gambier is the home of Kenyon College and was named after one of Kenyon College's early benefactors, Lord Gambier....
, where an LL. D degree had been conferred on him, he endowed Delano hall. His Lakeholm mansion, built in 1871 at the outskirts of Mount Vernon, is now part of Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a Christian liberal arts college located in Mount Vernon, Ohio.-History:The result of a 1960 education commission, Mount Vernon Nazarene was first chartered as the Zone A College of the Church of the Nazarene in 1964 by the church's General Assembly...
.
Columbus Delano died in 1896 and was interred in Mound View Cemetery in Mount Vernon, Ohio.
External links
- Columbus Delano at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...
- The Department of Everything Else: Highlights of Interior History (1989)
- William McFeeley, Grant: A Biography (1981)