William E. Woodruff (politician)

For the Union Army colonel, see William E. Woodruff (soldier). For other people, see William Woodruff (disambiguation).

William E. Woodruff
Woodruff, c. 1830
10th Postmaster of Little Rock
In office
October 17, 1845 – September 3, 1846
Nominated byJames K. Polk
Preceded byBarnett Williams
Succeeded byLambert Reardon
1st Treasurer of Arkansas
In office
October 1, 1836 – November 20, 1838
Preceded byNew office
Succeeded byJohn Hutt
Personal details
Born
William Edward Woodruff

(1795-12-24)December 24, 1795
Suffolk County, New York, U.S.
DiedJune 19, 1885(1885-06-19) (aged 89)
Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.
Resting placeMount Holly Cemetery,
Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.
34°44′15.3″N 92°16′42.5″W / 34.737583°N 92.278472°W / 34.737583; -92.278472
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Jane Eliza Mills
​
(m. 1827)​
Children11
Signature

William Edward Woodruff (December 24, 1795 – June 19, 1885) was an American politician and publisher who served as the first state treasurer of Arkansas from 1836 to 1838. He also served as the 10th postmaster of Little Rock from 1845 to 1846. Woodruff was the first publisher of a major Arkansas newspaper.[1]

Biography

William Edward Woodruff was born on December 24, 1795, in Suffolk County (Long Island), New York.[2] He was apprenticed to a Brooklyn printer at the age of 14, and, in 1818, headed west to work in Kentucky, Tennessee, and finally the newly created Arkansas Territory, founding The Arkansas Gazette in November 1819.[1]

Woodruff supported the Confederacy in the U.S Civil War and, aged 68, served as a soldier under Confederate Major-General Sterling Price; defending the city of Little Rock against the Union.[3]

Woodruff died in Little Rock on June 19, 1885, and is buried in the historic Mount Holly Cemetery.[4] Woodruff County, Arkansas, is named for him.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c Encyclopedia of Arkansas. William Edward Woodruff
  2. ^ The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Vol. VIII. James T. White & Company. 1924. pp. 463–464. Retrieved January 28, 2021 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ "Encyclopedia of Arkansas".
  4. ^ "Death of William E. Woodruff, Founder of the Gazette, and the First State Treasurer". Public Ledger. Little Rock. June 19, 1885. p. 1. Retrieved January 28, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.


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