Ohio Governor Gravesites: #23 Salmon P. Chase

Salmon P. Chase

Born: January 13, 1808
Died: May 7, 1873
Political Party: Republican
Term of Office: January 14, 1856 - January 9, 1960
Buried: Spring Grove Cemetery Cincinnati, Ohio
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   Salmon P. Chase was born in New Hampshire in 1808. His father died when he was 9 years old. He was 1 of 11 children and his mother couldn't support all of them. So he was sent to live with his Uncle Philander Chase in Ohio. When his Uncle moved to England, Chase moved back to New Hampshire where he attended Dartmouth College, where he graduated with honors in 1826. Chase moved to Washington DC where he studied law. He would eventually open up his law practice in Cincinnati.

    In his personal life, Chase was married 3 times and had several children. All 3 wives died young and only 2 of his children grew to be adults and would out live him. After his 3rd wife died in 1852, Chase decided to not remarry.

   As a lawyer, Chase earned a reputation as an abolitionist, defending slaves in many Fugitive Slave cases. In 1850, he was chosen to be a U.S. Senator from Ohio. In the Senate he continued his work in opposing slavery.

   In the election of 1855, Chase was chosen as the Republican parties first Candidate for Governor of Ohio. Chase won the election beating sitting Democratic Governor William Medill and former Governor and Know Nothing Party Candidate Allen Trimble. Chase would go onto win reelection in 1857. As Governor, he continued to focus on the issue of slavery, but also fought for women's rights and reforms in the state militia, education and the prison system.

   Chase unsuccessfully pursued the Republican nomination for President in 1856, 1860, 1864 and 1868. In 1860 the Ohio legislature sent Chase back to Washington as a U.S. Senator. But 2 days later he resigned to become President Lincoln's Secretary of the Treasury. As Secretary of the Treasury during the Civil War it was his job to figure out how to finance the Union war effort. He didn't always get along with President Lincoln. Which led to his resignation in July of 1864. However, when Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Roger Taney died 3 months later, Lincoln chose Chase to replace him. As Chief Justice, Chase administered the oath of office to Andrew Johnson upon Lincoln's death. He also presided over Johnson's Impeachment trial and confirmed the pardon of former Confederate President Jefferson Davis, as well as presiding over a number of important court cases.

   Chase remained Chief Justice until his death in 1873. He laid in state in the U.S. Capital Building and was buried in Washington DC. His body was later moved to Cincinnati. In 1934, Chase was honored when the Treasury department put his face on the 10,000 dollar bill.

    I visited the gravesite of Salmon P. Chase in September 2011. I had been wanting to go down to the Cincinnati area to see several Presidential sites. I also wanted to make it to Spring Grove Cemetery. Along with Salmon P. Chase there are several big names buried there including both Procter and Gamble, Bernard Kroger, David Frisch, the parents of both President Taft and Grant, and 9 Governors of Ohio. Chase was on the top of my list to see there, while all of the other Governors were put at the bottom. As it turned out I had a limited amount of time in Spring Grove. By the time I got back to the Governors on the bottom of my list, I was only able to find 2 more of them before I had to head out. So in total I only got 3 of the 9 Governors there. But I was able to get the other 6 Governor's in the cemetery on another visit.

Statue of Chase on the lawn of the State Capital Building in Columbus

Chase's gravesite in Spring Grove Cemetery Cincinatti, Ohio. His daughter, Kate Chase Sprague was a Washington DC socialite around the time of the Civil War