Lewis F. Allen

Lewis Falley Allen (January 1, 1800 – May 2, 1890) was an American farmer, businessman and politician. Allen was the uncle-in-law of President Grover Cleveland and is credited with introducing Cleveland to the practice of law and politics, therefore paving the way for his eventual presidency.

Early life Lewis Falley Allen was born on January 1, 1800, in Westfield, Massachusetts, the son of Samuel Allen (1777–1855) and Ruth Falley (1776–1826). His grandfather was Captain Richard Falley (1740–1808), partially of French Huguenot descent, who was an American soldier who fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill, built a musket armory at Mt. Tekoa, and was the armorer to the 18th Mass. regiment. Samuel Allen, the youngest of 11 children, was not a farmer, like his father, but went into the mercantile business. John Quincy Adams visited the Allens' home in Black Rock and for a while, Grover Cleveland lived there when Allen convinced Cleveland, on his way to Ohio, to remain in Buffalo to pursue a legal career which led to politics and eventually, the White House. written during his correspondence with Andrew Jackson Downing. American Cattle: Their History, Breeding and Management. (1868)