Gideon Granger


Gideon Granger was an early American politician and lawyer. He was the father of fellow Postmaster General and U.S. Representative Francis Granger.

Early life

Granger was born in Suffield, Connecticut on July 19, 1767. He was the son of Gideon Granger and Tryphosia Granger.
He attended and graduated from Yale University and became a lawyer.

Career

Granger was considered a brilliant political essayist. Using the pseudonyms Algernon Sydney and Epaminondas many of his writings, defending Jeffersonian principles, were published in many pamphlets.
He was a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives and ran unsuccessfully for the United States Congress in 1798. A staunch supporter of Thomas Jefferson, Granger was appointed as Postmaster General at the start of his term in 1801. He served in this post until 1814 when Jefferson's successor, James Madison, replaced him. He is the longest serving Postmaster General as of 2020.
After leaving Washington, D.C., Granger settled in Canandaigua, New York, where he built a homestead that would be "unrivaled in all the nation" from which he could administer the many land tracts he had acquired further to the west. Today his home is a museum. He became a member of the New York Senate and continued to be influential in politics and law including being a key figure in the Erie Canal project.

Personal life

On June 14, 1790, Granger was married to Mindwell Pease, the daughter of Joseph Pease. Together, they were the parents of three sons, including:
Ill health forced him to retire early in 1821 and he died the next year on December 31, 1822. He was interred in Woodlawn Cemetery in Canandaigua. Granger is the namesake of Granger Township, Ohio.