William Washington Gordon

William Washington Gordon (January 17, 1796 - March 22, 1842) was an American politician and businessman.

Gordon was born in Screven County, Georgia. He was named after American Revolutionary War General William Washington under whom Gordon's father, Ambrose Gordon, served as a cavalry lieutenant.

Upon the death of Ambrose Gordon in 1804, William Washington Gordon was sent to school in Rhode Island and then attended the United States Military Academy. He graduated from that institution in 1815 and was the first person from Georgia to do so. He remained in the army for only a year before returning to Savannah, Georgia to study law under James Moore Wayne.

Gordon would also marry Wayne's niece, Sarah Anderson "Addy" Stites, in 1826 and purchase Wayne's unfinished Savannah home in 1830. Washington's granddaughter, Juliette Gordon Low - founder of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, was born and raised in the Wayne-Gordon House. The national Girl Scouts organization bought the house in 1953, renovated it and dedicated it on October 19, 1956 as a museum in honor of Low. The house was Savannah's first registered National Historic Landmark.

Gordon became a member of the state bar in 1820 and served in several local public positions. In 1834, Gordon was elected as the mayor of Savannah and served in that position until 1836. During his mayoral service, he was elected to the Georgia General Assembly as a member of the House of Representatives in 1835. In 1838, he was elected to the Georgia Senate.

He founded and served as the first president of the Central Railroad and Banking Company (now the Central of Georgia Railroad).

Gordon died in Savannah in 1842 from bilious pleurisy and was originally buried in Colonial Cemetery in that city; however, his grave was later moved to Laurel Grove Cemetery.

On June 25, 1882, the Central of Georgia Railroad and Banking Company constructed a memorial to Gordon in Savannah's Wright Square. Gordon, Georgia and Gordon County, Georgia are both named after Gordon.

References

* [http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-3238&hl=y The New Georgia Encyclopedia entry for William Washington Gordon]
* [http://www.kenkrakow.com/gpn/g.pdf Georgia Place-Names, Kenneth K. Krakow 3rd Edition, pp.95-96]
* [http://www.lib.unc.edu/mss/inv/htm/02235.html#N2050 Biographical Note from Inventory of the Gordon Family Papers, 1810-1968, Collection Number 2235]
* [http://www.ci.savannah.ga.us/cityweb/p&tweb.nsf/950E01F292E02B9C852568AB00686F30/44327049A5606B3785256C5A004A73CC?OpenDocument Gordon Monument in Wright Square]
* [http://www.ci.savannah.ga.us/CityWeb/RLibCat.nsf/0/c85fa3c55a17efdd85256ee600554373?OpenDocument August 11, 1904 Cornerstone Laying Ceremony: Part IV of V Parade & Special Speakers, City of Savannah Research Library]
* [http://www.girlscouts.org/who_we_are/birthplace/facts.asp Juliette Gordon Low birthplace facts]
* [http://www.library.armstrong.edu/gordon.pdf The Life of William W. Gordon I, May 26, 1989]