The governor of Dakota Territory was the head of government of Dakota Territory, a territory of the United States from March 2, 1861,[1] to November 2, 1889, when it was split into the states of North Dakota and South Dakota.[2]
Governors
editEleven people were appointed governor of Dakota Territory by the President of the United States during its existence, though one, John F. Potter, declined the post.[3]
A provisional government formed in January 1859 and elected Wilmot Brookings as territorial governor, but the federal government refused to acknowledge the provisional government as official.
No. | Governor | Term in office[a] | Appointing President | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | William Jayne[b] (1826–1916) [4][5] |
May 27, 1861[c] – March 1, 1863 (resigned)[d] |
Abraham Lincoln | |
2 | Newton Edmunds (1819–1908) [3][8] |
October 6, 1863[e] – August 4, 1866 (successor appointed) |
Abraham Lincoln | |
3 | Andrew Jackson Faulk[f] (1814–1898) [14][15] |
August 4, 1866[g] – May 10, 1869 (successor appointed) |
Andrew Johnson | |
4 | John A. Burbank[h] (1827–1905) [18][19] |
May 10, 1869[i] – January 1, 1874 (resigned)[j] |
Ulysses S. Grant | |
5 | John L. Pennington (1829–1900) [23][24] |
January 1, 1874[k] – March 12, 1878 (successor appointed) |
Ulysses S. Grant | |
6 | William Alanson Howard (1813–1880) [27][28] |
March 12, 1878[l] – April 10, 1880 (died in office) |
Rutherford B. Hayes | |
7 | Nehemiah G. Ordway (1828–1907) [31][32] |
May 22, 1880[m] – July 2, 1884 (successor appointed) |
Rutherford B. Hayes | |
8 | Gilbert A. Pierce (1839–1901) [35][36] |
July 2, 1884[n] – February 3, 1887 (resigned)[o] |
Chester A. Arthur | |
9 | Louis K. Church (1846–1897) [40][41] |
February 3, 1887[p] – March 13, 1889 (resigned)[q] |
Grover Cleveland | |
10 | Arthur C. Mellette (1842–1896) [46][47] |
March 13, 1889[r] – November 2, 1889 (elected state governor)[s] |
Benjamin Harrison |
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ The range given is from the date the governor was confirmed by the Senate, or appointed by the President during a Senate recess, to the date the governor's successor was confirmed, unless noted.
- ^ When Jayne absent from the territory, Territorial Secretary John Hutchinson acted as governor.[4]
- ^ Jayne was nominated on March 23, 1861;[6] confirmed by the Senate on March 27;[7] and arrived in the territory around late May 1861.[4]
- ^ Jayne resigned, having been elected to the United States House of Representatives.[4]
- ^ John F. Potter was nominated on March 6, 1863,[9] and confirmed by the Senate on March 9,[10] but declined the post.[3] Edmunds was appointed on October 6, 1863, during a Senate recess,[3][11] and he accepted the appointment on October 17,[8] taking the oath of office on November 2.[3] He was nominated on January 7, 1864,[12] and confirmed by the Senate on February 2.[13]
- ^ While Faulk was not in the territory, Territorial Secretary Solomon L. Spink acted as governor.[14]
- ^ Faulk was appointed on August 4, 1866, during a Senate recess;[14][11] nominated on December 14, 1866;[16] and confirmed by the Senate on March 2, 1867.[17] He arrived in the territory on September 4, 1866.[14]
- ^ While Burbank was not in the territory, Territorial Secretaries George H. Hand, George A. Batchelder, Edwin Stanton McCook, and Oscar A. Whitney acted as governor; McCook was killed while acting as governor.[18]
- ^ Burbank was nominated on April 3, 1869;[20] confirmed by the Senate on April 5;[21] and arrived on the territory on April 29.[18] He was reconfirmed by the Senate on March 17, 1873.[22]
- ^ Burbank resigned in the face of political pressure.[18]
- ^ Pennington was nominated on December 15, 1873, for a term to begin in January;[25] confirmed by the Senate on December 18, 1873;[26] and arrived in the territory on January 29, 1874.[23]
- ^ Howard was nominated on February 18, 1878;[29] confirmed by the Senate on March 12;[30] and arrived in the territory on April 12.[27]
- ^ Ordway was nominated on May 14, 1880;[33] confirmed by the Senate on May 22;[34] and arrived in the territory on June 23.[31]
- ^ Pierce was nominated on June 27, 1884,[37] and confirmed by the Senate on July 2.[38]
- ^ Pierce resigned to avoid political conflict in a letter dated November 15, 1886, and was expected to remain in office until he could turn affairs over to his successor;[39] however, according to McMullin, since the confirmation process took so long, Territorial Secretary Michael L. McCormack acted as governor until Church arrived on February 17, 1887.[40]
- ^ Church was nominated on December 14, 1886;[42] confirmed by the Senate on February 3, 1887;[43] and arrived in the territory on February 17, 1887.[40]
- ^ Church resigned due to a change in the party in power, and submitted his resignation upon President Harrison's taking office,[44] though McMullin says it was dated March 9.[40] It is assumed it took effect when his successor took office, as Church was reportedly still performing his duties on March 13.[45]
- ^ Mellette was nominated on March 12, 1889,[48] and confirmed by the Senate on March 13.[49]
- ^ Mellette was elected governor of South Dakota.[46]
References
edit- General
- McMullin, Thomas A. (1984). Biographical directory of American territorial governors. Westport, CT : Meckler. ISBN 978-0-930466-11-4. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- Specific
- ^ 12 Stat. 239
- ^ 25 Stat. 676
- ^ a b c d e McMullin 1984, pp. 79–80.
- ^ a b c d McMullin 1984, pp. 77–79.
- ^ "William A. Jayne". State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 37th Cong., special sess., 335, accessed May 31, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 37th Cong., special sess., 353, accessed May 31, 2023.
- ^ a b "Newton Edmunds". State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 38th Cong., special sess., 220, accessed May 31, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 38th Cong., special sess., 261, accessed May 31, 2023.
- ^ a b The Territorial Papers of the United States: Volume I: General. United States Government Publishing Office. 1934. p. 7.
- ^ U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 38th Cong., 1st sess., 327, accessed May 31, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 38th Cong., 1st sess., 389, accessed May 31, 2023.
- ^ a b c d McMullin 1984, pp. 80–82.
- ^ "Andrew Jackson Faulk". State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 39th Cong., 2nd sess., 7, accessed May 31, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 39th Cong., 2nd sess., 327, accessed May 31, 2023.
- ^ a b c d McMullin 1984, pp. 82–84.
- ^ "John A. Burbank". State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 41st Cong., 1st sess., 75, accessed May 31, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 41st Cong., 1st sess., 89, accessed May 31, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 43rd Cong., special sess., 74, accessed May 31, 2023.
- ^ a b McMullin 1984, pp. 84–86.
- ^ "John L. Pennington". State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 43rd Cong., 1st sess., 186, accessed May 31, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 43rd Cong., 1st sess., 195, accessed May 31, 2023.
- ^ a b McMullin 1984, pp. 86–87.
- ^ "William A. Howard". State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 45th Cong., 2nd sess., 241, accessed May 31, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 45th Cong., 2nd sess., 263, accessed May 31, 2023.
- ^ a b McMullin 1984, pp. 87–90.
- ^ "Nehemiah G. Ordway". State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 46th Cong., 2nd sess., 332, accessed May 31, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 46th Cong., 2nd sess., 337, accessed May 31, 2023.
- ^ McMullin 1984, pp. 90–91.
- ^ "Gilbert A. Pierce". State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 48th Cong., 1st sess., 302, accessed May 31, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 48th Cong., 1st sess., 316, accessed May 31, 2023.
- ^ "Gov. Pierce Resigns". The Hope Pioneer. December 24, 1886. p. 1. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ^ a b c d McMullin 1984, pp. 92–93.
- ^ "Louis K. Church". State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 49th Cong., 2nd sess., 609, accessed May 31, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 49th Cong., 2nd sess., 725, accessed May 31, 2023.
- ^ "Generally Satisfed. [sic]". Rapid City Journal. March 13, 1889. p. 1. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ^ "Church Playing Even". The Mitchell Capital. March 15, 1889. p. 3. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ^ a b McMullin 1984, pp. 93–95.
- ^ "Arthur C. Mellette". State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 51st Cong., special sess., 5, accessed May 31, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 51st Cong., special sess., 9, accessed May 31, 2023.