Later Life and Death
Following his term as governor, Metcalfe represented Nicholas and Bracken Counties in the Kentucky Senate from 1834 to 1838. In 1836, he served as a Whig presidential elector, and he presided over the Kentucky Whig Convention in Harrodsburg on August 26, 1839. From 1840 to 1849, he served as president of the state board of internal improvements. Finally, he was appointed and subsequently elected as a Whig to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of John J. Crittenden. He served from June 23, 1848, to March 3, 1849. During his short tenure, he denounced secession, and asserted that Kentucky would remain part of the Union.
After his term in the Senate Metcalfe engaged in agricultural pursuits near Carlisle, Kentucky. He died of cholera in his home on August 18, 1855. He was interred in the family burial ground at Forest Retreat. Metcalfe County, Kentucky was formed in 1860 and named in his honor. "Forest Retreat" was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 2, 1973.
Read more about this topic: Thomas Metcalfe (Kentucky)
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