Hillegas, Michael.—First Treasurer of the United States, appointed July29, 1776; son of German parents; born in Philadelphia, where his father was a well-to-do merchant. Served till Sept.2, 1789. Hillegas with several other patriotic citizens came to the aid of the government in the Spring of1780 with his private means to relieve the distress of Washington’s soldiers, and in1781 became one of the founders of the Bank of North America, which afforded liberal support to the government during its financial difficulties. When a man named Philip Ginter submitted to him a piece of coal which he had found on Mauch-Chunk Hill, Hillegas pronounced it genuine coal, and with several others founded the Lehigh Coal Mining Co. and acquired 10,000 acres of coal land from the State of Pennsylvania. Died in Philadelphia, Sept.29, 1804.