 1818 - 1878 (60 years)
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| Name |
William Muhlenberg Hiester |
| Born |
15 May 1818 |
Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania  |
| Gender |
Male |
| Died |
16 Aug 1878 |
Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania |
| Buried |
Charles Evans Cemetery, Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania |
| Person ID |
I001770 |
Strausstown Roots |
| Last Modified |
9 Aug 2008 |
| Father |
Isaac Hiester, b. 22 Jun 1785, Bern Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania , d. 12 Sep 1855, Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania (Age 70 years) |
| Mother |
Hester M Muhlenberg, b. 01 Apr 1785, d. 21 Jul 1872, Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania (Age 87 years) |
| Family ID |
F00508 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family |
Julia F Roland, b. 23 Apr 1826, d. 27 Oct 1904, Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania (Age 78 years) |
| Married |
12 Jun 1849 |
| Detail: Reading/Lancaster |
| Children |
| | 1. son Hiester, b. 20 Feb 1853, Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania , d. 20 Mar 1853, Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania (Age 0 years) |
| + | 2. Isaac Hiester, b. 08 Jan 1856, Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania , d. 14 Mar 1921, Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania (Age 65 years) |
|
| Family ID |
F00533 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
-
| Sources |
- [S151] Montgomery Bios, Morton L. Montgomery, (. H. Beers & Company of Chicago, 1909), 755, 331 (Reliability: 1).
William Muhlenberg Hiester, (father of Isaac); was born at Reading, May 15, 1818, and after receiving his preparatory education in the West Nottingham Academy, Maryland, entered Bristol College, from which he was graduated in 1837. He then studied law in the office of Hon. John Banks, at Reading, attended a course of law lectures at Harvard College, and was admitted to the Bar at Reading in 1840. In 1843, the honorary degree of A. M. was conferred upon him by Harvard College. Soon after his admission to the Bar, he went to Erie, Pa., for the purpose of engaging in the practice of the law at that place, but after remaining there four years he returned to Reading to form a law-partnership with Henry A. Muhlenberg, Esq., and they together established a large and successful practice. Both of them took an active interest in Democratic politics, and their ability and devotion were so highly appreciated that they were elected to the State Senate, the for
mer serving form 1850 to 1853, and the latter from 1853 to 1856. Mr. Hiester, during his last year in the Senate, officiated as Speaker.
Upon the election of Hon. William F. Packer as governor of the State, he selected Mr. Hiester as secretary of the Commonwealth, and Mr. Hiester filled this important office with great success from 1858 to 1861. During the exciting presidential campaign of 1860, he supported Hon. Stephen A. Douglas, but when the Civil war broke out he encouraged the Lincoln Administration in the earnest prosecution of the war to the utmost of his ability. In 1863, Governor Curtin, in appreciation of Mr. Hiester's patriotic spirit appointed him as one of the mustering officers, with the rank of major, and during this year he mustered into the service eight regiments of volunteers who had answered the Governor's call for 60, 000 men to repel the invasion of the Rebels. These regiments were assembled in the Fair Grounds at the head of Penn street, and the encampment was called Camp Hiester, after Mr. Hiester. His adherence to the Republican party led to his nomination for Congress by the Republicans of this district in 1864.
Af
ter the Civil war he lived practically in retirement until his decease Aug. 16, 1878. He was identified for many years with the management of the Charles Evans Cemetery, the Reading Gas Company, and the Reading Library as a director; and he contributed liberally toward the support of local charity. He was married to Julia F. Roland, daughter of Henry Roland, and they had one son, Isaac (above). His wife died Oct. 27, 1904. [p.755]
William Muhlenberg Hiester, son of the celebrated physician, Dr. Isaac Hiester, was born in Reading, May 15, 1818. His maternal grandfather was Gen. Peter Muhlenberg, of Revolutionary fame. His mother, Hetty Muhlenberg, died in 1872, at the advanced age of eight-eight years. He received a preparatory training at the West Nottingham Academy in Maryland, and subsequently entered Bristol College in Pennsylvania, graduating in 1837, in the second and last class of graduates from that institution. He read law in the office of Judge Banks, attended a course of lectures in the Law Department of Harvard College, and was admitted to the Bar at Reading, Jan. 7, 1840. The honorary degree of A. M. was conferred upon him in 1843 by Harvard College. He practised his profession four years in Erie, Pa., in 1845 returning to Reading, and associating himself with the Hon. Henry A. Muhlenberg, and soon acquired a large practice. In 1852 he was elected by the Democratic party as a member of the State Senate, and served until 185
5, taking foremost rank among the Democratic members. At the opening of the session of 1855, after an exciting contest, he was elected speaker of the Senate on the twenty-seventh ballot. His career as speaker was dignified, firm and impartial.
In January, 1858, he was appointed secretary of the Commonwealth by Gov. William F. Packer, and continued in that office during the administration of three years. He supported Stephen A. Douglas for President of the United States in the campaign of 1860, but subsequently earnestly advocated the administration of Abraham Lincoln and was a warm friend of the Union. In the summer of 1863, when Pennsylvania was being invaded by General Lee, Mr. Hiester was appointed by Gov. Curtin one of the mustering officers, with the rank of major, to muster in troops that volunteered for ninety days' service, in response to the Governor's proclamation of June 26, 1863, calling for sixty thousand men. He was assigned to duty at the temporary rendezvous on the Agricultural Fair Grounds at Reading, which, in compliment to him, was designated Camp Hiester. In the execution of his military commission he mustered into the State service eight full regiments of volunteers, comprising an aggregate force of eight thousand men.
After the war he supported the Republican party, and in 1864 was the Republican candidate for Congress in the Berks county District. After this event, he retired from participating in public affairs, and devoted his attention to the benevolent and business interests of his native city. He was a director in the Reading Library Company, in the Charles Evans Cemetery Company and the Reading Gas Company, and a liberal supporter of the public and private charities of the city. He died in Reading Aug. 16, 1878, leaving a widow and a son Isaac, who is a practising attorney at Reading. [p. 331]
- [S1] Berks and Schuylkill Journal (Reliability: 3), 17 Aug 1878.
Hiester - In Reading, on Friday, August 16th, Hon. William M. Hiester, son of the late Dr. Isaac Hiester, in the 61st year of his age.
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