The Odd and Curious

Interesting and Odd Facts about Fractional Currency Persons

The men pictured on and had other ties to fractional were a very interesting lot.  But did you know these facts?

 John J. Cisco

• Took over for his father as head of his bank and was Hetty Green’s personal banker

Spencer Morton Clark

• Designed the funeral carriage for President Lincoln that took his coffin from the executive mansion to the Capitol.
• Was innocent of all charges and had permission from Spinner and McCullough to put his portrait on the five-cent note!!!

William H. Crawford

• Was named the Minister to France and came back to the U.S. in 1815 to act as the agent for the sale of the land Congress donated to Lafayette
• One of four candidates for President in 1824.  None of them got a majority of the electoral votes and per the 12thamendment, the House voted and John Quincy Adams won and Crawford finished a distant third.

Samuel Dexter

• Was an ardent supporter of the temperance movement and presided over its’ first formal  organization in Massachusetts
• Wrote the eulogy for George Washington

William P. Fessenden

• Did not want to be named Secretary of the Treasury.  Went to the White House to decline Lincoln’s nomination, but Lincoln told made like he was busy and had him wait to see him.  In the meantime, the Senate confirmed him and so Lincoln told him he had to take it!
• Has three parallel streets named after him in Portland Maine, William, Pitt and Fessenden streets.

William Meredith

• Graduated from the University of Pennsylvania as its’ Valedictorian in 1812 at age 13!
• Admitted to the bar in 1817 but was not allowed to practice law until 1820 due to his age
• As Secretary of the Treasury, was given one of the two 1849 Double Eagles.  It was sold with his estate and its' whereabouts is unknown.

Francis E. Spinner

• His father wanted him to learn a trade so he apprenticed him to a store and when it failed he apprenticed him to a confectionery and then to a saddle and harness maker.
• First government official to employ women.  After his death, a group of former female workers donated $10,000 to have a monument of him erected in Myers Park, Herkimer, NY where it still stands

Edwin McMasters Stanton

• Was the first to refer to President Lincoln as the “First Gorilla” for reasons not to be detailed here.
• Nickname was “Mars” after Roman god of war.

Robert J. Walker

• Was born in Pennsylvania, but moved to Natchez, MS and acquired several plantations and their slaves. He disposed of them in 1843 and became the governor of the Kansas Territory
• Middle name is John