John Alexander Greer (July 18, 1802 – July 4, 1855) was an American politician who served as the second lieutenant governor of Texas from 1847 to 1851 under Governors George T. Wood and Peter H. Bell. He was also the twelfth and final Secretary of Treasury of the Republic of Texas during Anson Jones' presidency. Greer County, Oklahoma, once claimed by Texas, is named in his honor.

John Alexander Greer
2nd Lieutenant Governor of Texas
In office
December 21, 1847 – December 22, 1851
GovernorGeorge Tyler Wood
Peter Hansborough Bell
Preceded byAlbert Clinton Horton
Succeeded byJames W. Henderson
12th Secretary of Treasury of the
Republic of Texas
In office
July 1845 – 1846
PresidentAnson Jones
Preceded byWilliam Beck Ochiltree
Succeeded byOffice abolished
President pro tempore of the
Republic of Texas Senate
In office
November 1, 1841 – June 28, 1845
Preceded byAnson Jones
Succeeded byLegislature abolished
Republic of Texas Senator
from San Augustine
In office
April 9, 1838 – June 28, 1845
Preceded byHenry William Augustine
Succeeded byLegislature abolished
Personal details
Born(1802-07-18)July 18, 1802
Shelbyville, Tennessee, U.S.
DiedJuly 4, 1855(1855-07-04) (aged 52)
San Augustine, Texas, U.S.
Resting placeGreer Cemetery, Ironosa, Texas, U.S.
or Texas State Cemetery,
Austin, Texas, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Adeline Minerva Orten
(m. 1836; died 1843)

Biography

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Greer was born at Shelbyville, Tennessee, on July 18, 1802[1] to Thomas and Catherine Rebecca (née Harman) Greer.[2] He lived in Kentucky before moving to Texas in 1830. On May 18, 1836, Greer married Adeline Minerva Orten.[1] She died on August 26, 1843, in San Augustine, Texas.[3]

He represented San Augustine as a senator in the Congress of the Republic of Texas from 1838 to 1845, from the second to the ninth Congress. He was the president pro tempore of the Senate from 1841 to 1845.[4] He was made the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas in 1842.[5] Anson Jones, the last president of the Republic of Texas, appointed him as secretary of the treasury[4] in July 1845. After Texas was annexed into the United States, Greer became the second Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1847. Greer attained the rank of Deputy Grand High Priest in the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of the state in 1851.[4] The same year, while serving as Lieutenant Governor, he challenged Peter H. Bell for the governorship in 1851. He was the president of an Austin convention to formally organize the Democratic party in Texas in January 1854. He died on July 4, 1855, after falling ill while campaigning for the governorship against the incumbent, Elisha M. Pease, four months before the election.[1][5]

Burial

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John A. Greer was originally buried at his farm, located nine miles northwest of San Augustine.[1] The area is in the community of Ironosa.[6] He was buried in the Greer Cemetery, about 45 feet to the east from the chain link fence of the present African American Greer Cemetery.[2]

According to the late Bob Bowman of Lufkin,[5] the Texas Centennial Commission went to Jack Greer, grandson of John Alexander Greer's brother, in 1929 to speak to him about moving Greer's grave.[6] After informing the men about his desire for Greer to remain in San Augustine County, the men later returned with a court order to exhume John Alexander Greer's grave. The men believed that Greer was buried in one of two graves but were unsure which one was correct. Jack Greer walked to one of the graves and told them "This is the one". He had pointed them to a well-known reprobate of San Augustine who happened to be buried nearby.[7][8]

John Alexander Greer was reinterred in 1929 at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin, where his body might lie in the cemetery's Republic Hill (Section 2), Row S, No. 8.[5]

Legacy

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John A. Greer is the namesake of Greer County, Oklahoma, established 5 years after his death in February 1860 as Greer County, Texas.[5][9] Greer County was disputed between Texas and what is now Oklahoma. It was eventually decided to lie in the Territory of Oklahoma by the Supreme Court of the United States in the case, United States v. State of Texas 162 U.S. 1 (1896).

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Hyman, Carolyn (January 1, 1995). "Greer, John Alexander (1802–1855)". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Greer Cemetery". CountyGenWeb. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  3. ^ "Adeline Minerva Greer". Texas State Cemetery. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Biographical Directory of the Texan Conventions and Congresses 1832–1845" (PDF). Legislative Reference Library of Texas. 1941.
  5. ^ a b c d e Craddock, Van (July 26, 2015). "Craddock: The curious case of Greer County". Longview News-Journal. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Bowman, Bob. "John Alexander Greer: The Wrong Grave". Texas Escapes. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  7. ^ Bowman, Bob (December 25, 2012). "Wrong person buried in hero's grave". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  8. ^ Bowman, Bob (June 2011). "The Wrong Grave". Stephen F. Austin State University. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  9. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 144.
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Political offices
Preceded by Lieutenant Governor of Texas
1847–1851
Succeeded by
Preceded by Secretary of Treasury of the Republic of Texas
1845–1846
Succeeded by
Office abolished
Preceded by President pro tempore of the
Republic of Texas Senate

1841–1845
Succeeded by
Legislature abolished
Preceded by
Henry William Augustine
Republic of Texas Senator
from San Augustine

1838–1845
Succeeded by
Legislature abolished