BIO: Andrew Jackson HERR, Dauphin County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by JAWB Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/dauphin/ http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/dauphin/runk/runk-bios.htm _______________________________________________________________ Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, Containing Sketches of Representative Citizens, and Many of the Early Scotch-Irish and German Settlers. Chambersburg, Pa.: J. M. Runk & Company, 1896, pages 253-254. _______________________________________________________________ HERR, ANDREW JACKSON, son of Daniel Herr (1795-1857) and Sarah Gilbert (1801-1880), was born December 31, 1829, in Greencastle, Franklin county, Pa. He was educated at the Zane street grammar school and the high school at Philadelphia, from which latter institution he graduated in 1845. He shortly after commenced the study of law with James McCormick, and was admitted to the Dauphin county bar August 20, 1750, locating at Harrisburg in the practice of his profession. He served, by election, as district attorney nine years; was counsel for county commissioners one year, and represented the county of Dauphin in the Legislature in 1868 and 1869; was member of the State Senate in 1875 and 1876, and in the latter year re-elected for full term of four years; elected president pro tem. of the Senate at the close of the session of 1878, and re-elected to that office in the session of 1879. In November, 1880, he was re-elected again for full term of four years. He served in that body with distinctive ability. After the close of his official term he returned to the duties of his professional life. He died at Harrisburg March 16, 1894, and was there buried. Colonel Herr married, first, Martha Linn Coyle, daughter of Scott Coyle and Martha Linn; secondly, Nannie M. Coyle, and their children were: Daniel Coyle, a member of the Dauphin county bar, and Martha Coyle, d. s. p.; married, thirdly, Nannie Gillmor, daughter of James Gillmor and Eleanor McKinney, and they had Eleanor Gillmor. It may be here stated that in his early years he was a frequent contributor to the Saturday Evening Post and Neal's Gazette, of Philadelphia. When fifteen years of age he published three novels, entitled "Maid of the Valley," "Story founded on the Revolution," and "The Corsair," founded on the revolt of St. Domingo. These books were published in England. A novel called "The Chain of Destiny," also appeared from his pen. As a criminal lawyer, however, Colonel Herr was the most brilliant and his career successful. He was highly respected by his professional brethren and his opinions had great weight, especially in that class of legal practice in which he was unexceptionably the leader at the Dauphin county bar.