{{Infobox officeholder | name = William Meighen | image = William Meighen.jpg | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = December 5, 1816 | birth_place = Waynesburg, Pennsylvania | death_date = March 22, 1899 | death_place = Forestville, Minnesota | spouse = Catherine Foster Meighen | other_names = | state_senate = Minnesota | district = 3rd | term_start = 1873 | term_end = 1877 | state_house1 = Minnesota | district1 = 9th | term_start1 = 1859 | term_end1 = 1861 | state_house2 = Minnesota | district2 = 14th | term_start2 = 1868 | term_end2 = 1870 | predecessor = John Q. Farmer | successor = Charles G. Edwards | years_active = | known_for = | notable_works = | party = Democrat (to 1870),<br>Greenback Party (from 1870s)<br>Populist }}
'''William Meighen''' (December 5, 1816 – March 22, 1899) was a politician from the U.S. State of Minnesota. He was the younger brother of Felix Meighen, and the uncle of Thomas Meighen.
==Biography== He was born to Irish-American immigrants in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. After he fell into bankruptcy in Pennsylvania, he moved to Galena, Illinois in 1843.<ref>{{cite web|title=Timeline|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society|url=https://www.mnhs.org/forestville/learn/timeline|access-date=March 31, 2026}}</ref> In 1849, due to the California Gold Rush, Meighen moved briefly to California, successfully earning enough money in gold to return to Pennsylvania and settle his debts. He then returned to his house in Galena.
William's older brother, Felix Meighen's brother-in-law Robert Foster, would buy land in Fillmore County, Minnesota in 1853. Robert would gift land to Felix and William. In October of 1853, both of them would move to the new land. The town that developed in the land would become Forestville, Minnesota.<ref name='family'/>
==Political Career== Meighen began his political career shortly after moving to Forestville. He would represent his area in the Minnesota House of Representatives twice, first from 1859 – 1861, and again from 1868 – 1870. He would also be elected to the Minnesota Senate from 1873 – 1877. While in office, he was a Democrat.<ref name='MHEA'>{{cite web|title=William Meighen Candidate|publisher=Minnesota Historical Election Archive|url=https://mn.electionarchives.lib.umn.edu/candidate/william-meighen/|access-date=March 31, 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Meighen, William|publisher=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library|url=https://www.lrl.mn.gov/legdb/fulldetail?ID=13936}}</ref>
In the 1870s, his nephew, Thomas Meighen, would become involved in the Greenback Party. His nephew would convince him to run for Governor in 1877. Initially, Meighen ran for the Democratic nomination, but lost to William L. Banning. He then ran on a separate Greenback ticket.<ref>{{cite news|title=HARMONIOUS DEMOCRACY|date=October 3, 1877|url=https://newspaperhub.mnhs.org/?a=d&d=sppp18771003.1.2&e=------187-en-20--1--img-txIN-Republican+Convention----1877-------}}</ref> Despite coming in a distant third, he would run a second time in 1879. The Greenback party would cease to exist in Minnesota by 1882. Most of its voters went back to major parties. Meighen gravitated towards the Farmer's Alliance, as did his nephew.<ref name='family'/> Meighen was opposed to the issuance of state bonds for railroad construction, and was instrumental in passing a Constitutional Amendment mandating all state bonds just be approved by popular referendum. Governor John S. Pillsbury had to reconstruct the Supreme Court of Minnesota to have the amendment overruled.<ref>{{cite web|title=NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM|publisher=United States National Park Service|date=April 13, 1973|url=https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/d1a8dab3-b0e6-4df7-b18b-4c3fca399d41|access-date=April 1, 2026}}</ref>
Meighen became unpopular in his community, being called by the newspaper Broadside as "money-mongerers, userers, and land pirates."
As a Greenback, Meighen would run to retake his position in the State Senate twice, in 1882 and 1888.<ref name='MHEA'/> Despite his lack of success, he would come to know other politicians of the day, notably Ignatius Donnelly, and later Governor John Lind.<ref name='family'>{{cite web|title=The Meighen Family|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society|url=https://www.mnhs.org/forestville/learn/meighens|access-date=March 31, 2026}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meighen, William}} Category:1816 births Category:1899 deaths Category:People from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania Category:People from Fillmore County, Minnesota Category:Minnesota Greenbacks Category:Minnesota Democrats Category:Minnesota Populists Category:Minnesota gubernatorial candidates