Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Trimble, Allen

TRIMBLE, Allen, statesman, b. in Augusta county, Va., 24 Nov., 1783; d. in Hillsborough, Ohio, 2 Feb., 1870. His father, Capt. James, removed in 1784 to Lexington, Ky., where he died in October, 1804. Allen then settled in Highland county, Ohio, where he was clerk of courts and recorder in 1809-'16. He commanded a mounted regiment under Gen. William Henry Harrison in 1812-'13, was a state representative in 1816, state senator in 1817-'26, and speaker of the house in 1819-'26. He was acting governor of Ohio in 1821-'2, governor in 1826-'30, and in 1846-'48 was president of the first state board of agriculture. While he was governor, he did much to extend and improve the common-school system, encouraged manufacturing companies, and promoted penitentiary reform. - His brother, William A., senator, b. in Woodford, Ky., 4 April, 1786; d. in Washington, D.C., 13 Dec., 1821, was graduated at Transylvania college, studied law with Judge Robert Trimble, was admitted to the bar in 1811, and began practice at Highland, Ohio. He was adjutant of his brother Allen's regiment in the campaign against the Pottawattamie Indians in 1812, became major of Ohio volunteers, 7 May, 1812, and was taken prisoner at the capture of Detroit. He was appointed major of the 26th U.S. infantry, 18 March, 1813, brevetted lieutenant-colonel, 17 Sept., 1814, for gallantry at the sortie at Fort Erie, in which he was severely wounded, and became lieutenant-colonel of the 1st infantry, 30 Nov., 1814. Col. Trimble was transferred to the 8th infantry, 17 May, 1815, and resigned 1 March, 1819. He was then elected U.S. senator from Ohio, and served from 1819 till his death. He was a commissioner with Gen. Lewis Cass in 1821 to treat with the northwestern Indians at Green Bay.