French, Augustus C., 1808-1864

Lawyer who came from New York to Illinois in 1832 and was elected to the state legislature in 1836, and to the governor's office in 1846 after which he was appointed state bank commissioner and taught law at McKendree College. During his tenure as governor he gained Illinois a reputation for fiscal integrity by paying state debts accrued by internal improvements such as the Illinois-Michigan Canal and the Illinois Central Railroad. He also worked to build the Jacksonville Insane Asylum. Dealt with problems of violence in Massac County and Bishop Hill colony. Also with discontent in Alton and Quincy, Ill. over the St. Louis proposed dike in the Mississippi to control erosion of the city's harbor.

From the description of Papers, 1841-1852. (Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library). WorldCat record id: 53167537

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