Jacob Spangler

Jacob Spangler (November 28, 1767 – June 17, 1843) was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. A lifelong resident of York, Pennsylvania, he was born there on November 28, 1767. He attended the York County Academy, an important local institution of learning in the late eighteenth century, where he received the education that prepared him for public service. After his schooling, Spangler engaged in surveying, a profession that would shape much of his later career in both county and state government.

In addition to his civil pursuits, Spangler had early involvement in military affairs. In 1799 he served as a trumpeter in Captain McClellan’s light horse company of York, reflecting the continued importance of local militia units in the early national period. At the same time, he began to assume a series of local offices that established him as a prominent public figure in York County. He was appointed postmaster of York in 1795 and held that position until 1812, overseeing the community’s mail and communications during a formative era in the young republic. From 1796 to 1815 he served as deputy surveyor of York County, Pennsylvania, applying his professional skills to the management and documentation of land holdings. He was elected county commissioner in 1800 and again in 1814, further demonstrating the confidence placed in him by local voters.

As a member of the Republican Party representing Pennsylvania, Jacob Spangler contributed to the legislative process during one term in office. Identified with the Republican (Democratic-Republican) Party that dominated national politics in the early nineteenth century, he was elected to the Fifteenth Congress and took his seat as a Representative from Pennsylvania. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, when issues of national expansion, finance, and the aftermath of the War of 1812 were before the legislature. Spangler participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his constituents until his resignation from the U.S. House of Representatives on April 20, 1818, thus concluding his single term in federal office.

Following his resignation from Congress, Spangler continued a long and active career in public service at the state level. In 1818 he was appointed surveyor general of Pennsylvania, a position he held until 1821, overseeing the surveying and management of public lands throughout the Commonwealth. His experience and standing in the militia led to his becoming commander of the state militia, with the title of general. In that capacity he played a visible ceremonial role in 1825 as the chief escort of General Lafayette during Lafayette’s celebrated tour of the United States, accompanying him from York to Harrisburg and symbolizing Pennsylvania’s welcome to the Revolutionary War hero.

Spangler remained closely associated with York County’s civic institutions in the later years of his life. He served as clerk of the York County Court until 1830, managing the records and administrative functions of the local judiciary. That same year he returned to statewide office when he was again appointed surveyor general of Pennsylvania, serving a second term in that post from 1830 to 1836. Through these repeated appointments, he maintained a central role in the administration of land and public records in Pennsylvania over several decades.

Jacob Spangler died in his native York, Pennsylvania, on June 17, 1843. He was interred in Prospect Hill Cemetery in York, where his burial reflects his enduring connection to the community in which he was born, educated, and spent his long career in public service.