Duncan McArthur

Duncan McArthur (June 14, 1772 – April 29, 1839) was a Federalist and National Republican politician from Ohio. He served as the 11th Governor of Ohio.

Biography
Born to Scottish immigrants in Dutchess County, New York, McArthur grew up in western Pennsylvania and later moved to Kentucky, where he was employed as an Indian ranger.

McArthur obtained a position with Nathaniel Massie in 1793, and worked with Massie on a surveying expedition in the Northwest Territory. In 1796, he worked with Massie to lay out the new town of Chillicothe, Ohio, which was to become the state capital in 1803. McArthur moved across the Ohio River in 1797 Chillicothe, and grew wealthy in land speculations in the Northwest Territory.

Career
McArthur was elected to the United States House of Representatives from Ohio's 3rd congressional district while serving in the militia during the War of 1812, but never qualified for office, preferring to continue serving in the military. He was appointed colonel of Ohio volunteers and was second-in-command to General William Hull at Fort Detroit. He and Colonel Lewis Cass were not present at Detroit when Hull surrendered and were greatly angered to hear that Hull had included both of them in the capitulation. When a British officer notified him of the surrender, McArthur is said to have torn off his epaulettes and broke his sword in a fit of rage, although historians note similar stories were told about other officers as well. He was paroled and returned to Ohio. He was appointed a Brigadier General in the U.S. Army and commanded a brigade under William H. Harrison during the battle of the Thames. Shortly thereafter he was placed in charge of the Army of the Northwest following Harrison's resignation. He did not face much action but was instead engaged in negotiating treaties with the Indians. In 1817, he was one of two commissioners (along with Lewis Cass) who negotiated the Treaty of Fort Meigs, which was signed September 29 of that year with several Native American tribes.

McArthur served intermittently thereafter in the Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio State Senate, as well as a single term from 1823-1825 in the United States House of Representatives before winning election to the governorship in 1830. McArthur served a single term and did not seek re-election.

Death
McArthur was buried in Grandview Cemetery, Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio, USA.

Legacy
The small village of McArthur, Ohio, the seat of Vinton County, is named for him.

McArthur founded the city of Greenfield in 1799. Greenfield is located at N39 21.11958 W83 22.96284 (GPS coordinates), about 21 miles due west of Chillicothe. State Route 28, which runs between Greenfield and Chillicothe, was to be known as General Duncan McArthur Highway per act of the 113th Ohio General Assembly to the effect of: Ohio Revised Code 5533.11 General Duncan McArthur highway.

''The road known as state route number twenty-eight, running in a northeasterly and southwesterly direction, commencing at the village of Milford in Hamilton and Clermont counties and extending through the counties of Clermont, Warren, Clinton, Highland, and Ross to a point of junction with United States route number fifty, and through the municipal corporations of Blanchester, Martinsville, New Vienna, Highland, Leesburg, and Greenfield shall be known as “General Duncan McArthur highway.”

The director of transportation shall erect suitable uniform markers upon said highway indicating the name thereof, such markers to have a background of white enamel, bearing in black enamel the bust of General Duncan McArthur and the words “General Duncan McArthur highway.” '' Effective Date: 09-28-1973