Peter Aaron Van Dorn
| Peter Aaron Van Dorn | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 12, 1773 Peapack, Somerset County, New Jersey |
| Died | February 12, 1837 Mississippi |
| Resting place | Wintergreen Cemetery, Port Gibson, Mississippi |
| Residence | Van Dorn House |
| Education | Princeton University |
| Occupation | Lawyer, planter |
| Spouse(s) | 2, including Sophia (Donelson Caffery) Van Dorn |
| Children | Mary Van Dorn Jane Van Dorn Octavia Van Dorn Earl Van Dorn Aaron Van Dorn Mabella Van Dorn Sarah Van Dorn Emily Van Dorn Jacob Van Dorn |
| Parent(s) | Aaron Van Dorn Ghacy Schenck |
| Relatives | Clement Sulivane (grandson) |
Peter Aaron Van Dorn (1773–1837) was an American lawyer, judge and plantation owner. He was one of the founders of Jackson, Mississippi.
Peter Aaron Van Dorn was born on September 12, 1773 near Peapack, New Jersey. He descended from the Baron Van Doorn family of the Dutch nobility. Later ancestors were wealthy farmers in Monmouth County, New Jersey and Somerset County, New Jersey. His father was Aaron Van Dorn (1744-1830) and his mother, Ghacy Schenck (1748-1820).
He studied Theology and the Law at the College of New Jersey, now known as Princeton University, and he graduated in 1795.
Van Dorn first moved to Virginia. After his first wife died, he moved to the Mississippi Territory at the age of twenty-one.
He became a lawyer in Natchez, Mississippi. In 1804, he was appointed as Marshal of Natchez by Governor William C. C. Claiborne. He later served as Judge of the Claiborne County Probate Cour in Natchez. Shortly after, he moved to Port Gibson, Mississippi, forty miles away from Natchez. He established a private practise in Port Gibson, while traveling to Natchez to serve as clerk of the Circuit Court. In 1817, he became Clerk of the Mississippi House of Representatives.
He was a proponent of establishing public schools in Mississippi. In 1821, he served on a commission alongside Dr William Lattimore and General Thomas Hinds to decide upon the location of the future state capital, Jackson, Mississippi. As a result, he was one of the founders of Jackson. He followed a 'checkerboard' plan suggested by Thomas Jefferson, whereby houses would be interspersed by parks and green spaces.
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