William (Orgain) Allen
Encyclopedia
William Orgain Allen was born William Orgain in 1829. At age two, he inherited the 26000 acres (105.2 km²) Claremont Estate on the James River
in Virginia
from his granduncle Colonel William Allen
(1768-1831). To satisfy the terms of his inheritance, his name was officially changed to William Allen in 1832.
At the time of his death in 1875, newspaper obituaries reported that prior to the Civil War
Allen was the wealthiest man in Virginia and one of the wealthiest in the South. His property included Jamestown Island
, vast plantations in three Virginia counties, lumber and shipping businesses, and a railroad. Initially a major supporter of the Confederacy
, Allen resigned his military post in 1862, claiming to have already lost $450,000 in goods and material donated to the Confederate cause, as well as plantation property damaged by looters and occupying Union forces.
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
from his granduncle Colonel William Allen
William Allen
- Politicians :* William Allen , Canadian politician from Toronto* William Allen , American congressman from Ohio* William Allen , American politician from Ohio...
(1768-1831). To satisfy the terms of his inheritance, his name was officially changed to William Allen in 1832.
At the time of his death in 1875, newspaper obituaries reported that prior to the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
Allen was the wealthiest man in Virginia and one of the wealthiest in the South. His property included Jamestown Island
Jamestown, Virginia
Jamestown was a settlement in the Colony of Virginia. Established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 14, 1607 , it was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States, following several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke...
, vast plantations in three Virginia counties, lumber and shipping businesses, and a railroad. Initially a major supporter of the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
, Allen resigned his military post in 1862, claiming to have already lost $450,000 in goods and material donated to the Confederate cause, as well as plantation property damaged by looters and occupying Union forces.