Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 05.djvu/268

 HIESTER

HIGGINS

1799-1805, succeeding his cousin Daniel, a repre- sentative in the lst-4tli congresses inclusive. In 1807 he was one of the two major-generals ap- pointed to cotninand the Pennsylvania contingent called bj- President Jefferson. He then retired to his farm, but again served as a representative in the 14th. ir)tii and 16th congresses, 1815-20. He was an unsuccessful candidate for governor of Pennsylvania in 1817, was elected governor in 1800 and resigned his seat in congress to accept the uflice. In his administration he directed especial attention to the iiitroduction of better methods of instruction in public schools. In 1823 he retired from public life. At the time of his death his estate was worth over $400,000. He died in Reading, Pa.. June 10, 1832.

HIESTER, William, representative, was born in Bern townsliip, Berks county. Pa., Oct. 10, 1790; son of William and Anna Maria (Myers) Hiester, and grandson of Daniel and Catharine (Schuler) Hiester. He pursued an irregular course at Dickinson college and removed to New Hol- land. Lancaster county. Pa., about 1822, where he engaged in farming. He was married to Lucy E. , daughter of Isaac EUmaker of New Holland. He was an early advocate of the Anti-]\Iasonic move- ment; was secretary of the Anti-^Iasonic meet- ing at New Holland in 1828, and in the same year was defeated by James Buchanan in the election for representative in the 21st congress. He was a representative in the 22d, 23d and 24tli con- gresses, 1831-37; in 1836 was elected a member of the constitutional convention of December, 1837; was elected a state senator in 1840, being speaker of the senate in 1842; presided at the Whig con- vention in Lancaster, July 29, 1843, which advo- cated the claims of Henry Clay for the presi- dency; was a presidential elector in 1844, and was the unanimoas choice of Lancaster county for governor, but refused to allow his name to be used. He died in New Holland, Pa., Oct. 14, 1853.

HIQBEE, Elnathan Elisha, educator, was born in St. Georg.'. Vt.. April 27. 1830; son of Lewis and Sarah (Baker) Higbee. He was graduated from the University of Vermont in 1849 and from the Theological Seminary of the Reformed Churcli, Mercersburg, Pa., in 1853. He was pro- fessor of mathematics in the high school at Lancaster, Pa., 1853-54; pastor at Bethel, Vt., 1855-58; Emmittsburg, Md., 1858-59; Tiffin, Ohio, 1859-62; was also professor of languages in Heidel- burg college, Tiffin, 1859-62; was pastor at Pitts- burg. Pa., 1862-64, and was professor of church history and New Testament exegesis in the Theo- logical seminary, Mercersburg, 1864-71. He was president of Mercersburg college and profes-sor of ethics and aesthetics there. 1871-80, and state superintendent of public instruction for Pennsyl- vania, 1881-,'>9. He was also superintendent of

the Soldiers' Orphans' schools, 1881-89, and editor of the Ponisylvania School Joiumal, 1881-89. He received the degrees of D.D, in 1865 and LL.D. in 1887 from Franklin and Marshall college. See biographj' in Pennsylvania School Jonriial, Febru- ary, 1890. He died at Lancaster, Pa., Dec. 10, 1889.

HIGBY, William, representative, was born at Willsboro, N.Y., Aug. 18, 1813; youngest son of Levi Higby. He spent his boj-hood on his father's farm and engaged in the lumber and iron business. He was graduated from the Uni- versity of Vermont in 1840 and practised law in his native county until 1849, when he removed to Calaveras, Cal., and engaged for a time in mining, without success. He was district attor- ney of Calaveras countj', 1853-59. and gained the rough nickname of " Bloody Bill" because of his severity to criminals. He was district judge, 1859-61; state senator, 1862, and a representa- tive in the 38th. 39th and 40th congresses, 1863-69. In the 40th congress he was chairman of the committee on mines and mining. He was mar- ried in 1865 to a daughter of Joseph Ringot. He was a delegate to the Philadelphia Loyalists' convention of 1866. He was collector of internal revenue for the first district of California by ap- pointment of President Grant. 1877-81; engaged in farming, 1881-84, and tliree years before his death was stricken with paralysis. He died at Santa Rosa, Cal., Nov. 29, 1887.

HIGGINS, Anthony, senator, was born in Red Lion Hundred, Del., Oct. 1, 1840; son of Anthony M. and Sarah C. (Corbit) Higgins; grandson of Anthonj-and Martiia Higgins, and of Parnelland Mary (Clark) Corbit, and a descendant of Laurence Higgins, who lauded at Phila- delphia about 1730, and of Daniel Corbit. who landed at Phila- delphia in 1703. He prepared for college at Newark acadeniv, entered Delaware college and was grad- uated from Yale in 1861. He studied law one year at Harvard and was admitted to the bar in 1864. He was deputy attorney-general of the state, 1864-69; U.S. district attorney for Delaware, 1869-76; chairman of the Republican state com- mittee, 1868; the defeated Republican candi- date for U.S. senator before the Delaware legis- lature in 1881; defeated Republican candidate for representative in the 49th congress in 1884; and was elected U.S. senator as successor to Eli