List of governors of Dakota Territory

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

Eleven 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.

Governors of the Territory of Dakota

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

• List of governors of North Dakota
• List of governors of South Dakota

Notes

1. 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.
2. When Jayne absent from the territory, Territorial Secretary John Hutchinson acted as governor.^[4]
3. 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]
4. Jayne resigned, having been elected to the United States House of Representatives.^[4]
5. 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]
6. While Faulk was not in the territory, Territorial Secretary Solomon L. Spink acted as governor.^[14]
7. 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]
8. 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]
9. 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]
10. Burbank resigned in the face of political pressure.^[18]
11. 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]
12. 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]
13. 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]
14. Pierce was nominated on June 27, 1884,^[37] and confirmed by the Senate on July 2.^[38]
15. 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]
16. 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]
17. 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]
18. Mellette was nominated on March 12, 1889,^[48] and confirmed by the Senate on March 13.^[49]
19. Mellette was elected governor of South Dakota.^[46]

References

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

1. 12 Stat. 239
2. 25 Stat. 676
3. McMullin 1984, pp. 79–80.
4. McMullin 1984, pp. 77–79.
5. "William A. Jayne". State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
6. U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 37th Cong., special sess., 335, accessed May 31, 2023.
7. U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 37th Cong., special sess., 353, accessed May 31, 2023.
8. "Newton Edmunds". State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
9. U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 38th Cong., special sess., 220, accessed May 31, 2023.
10. U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 38th Cong., special sess., 261, accessed May 31, 2023.
11. The Territorial Papers of the United States: Volume I: General. United States Government Publishing Office. 1934. p. 7.
12. U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 38th Cong., 1st sess., 327, accessed May 31, 2023.
13. U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 38th Cong., 1st sess., 389, accessed May 31, 2023.
14. McMullin 1984, pp. 80–82.
15. "Andrew Jackson Faulk". State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
16. U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 39th Cong., 2nd sess., 7, accessed May 31, 2023.
17. U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 39th Cong., 2nd sess., 327, accessed May 31, 2023.
18. McMullin 1984, pp. 82–84.
19. "John A. Burbank". State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
20. U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 41st Cong., 1st sess., 75, accessed May 31, 2023.
21. U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 41st Cong., 1st sess., 89, accessed May 31, 2023.
22. U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 43rd Cong., special sess., 74, accessed May 31, 2023.
23. McMullin 1984, pp. 84–86.
24. "John L. Pennington". State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
25. U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 43rd Cong., 1st sess., 186, accessed May 31, 2023.
26. U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 43rd Cong., 1st sess., 195, accessed May 31, 2023.
27. McMullin 1984, pp. 86–87.
28. "William A. Howard". State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
29. U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 45th Cong., 2nd sess., 241, accessed May 31, 2023.
30. U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 45th Cong., 2nd sess., 263, accessed May 31, 2023.
31. McMullin 1984, pp. 87–90.
32. "Nehemiah G. Ordway". State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
33. U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 46th Cong., 2nd sess., 332, accessed May 31, 2023.
34. U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 46th Cong., 2nd sess., 337, accessed May 31, 2023.
35. McMullin 1984, pp. 90–91.
36. "Gilbert A. Pierce". State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
37. U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 48th Cong., 1st sess., 302, accessed May 31, 2023.
38. U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 48th Cong., 1st sess., 316, accessed May 31, 2023.
39. "Gov. Pierce Resigns". The Hope Pioneer. December 24, 1886. p. 1. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
40. McMullin 1984, pp. 92–93.
41. "Louis K. Church". State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
42. U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 49th Cong., 2nd sess., 609, accessed May 31, 2023.
43. U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 49th Cong., 2nd sess., 725, accessed May 31, 2023.
44. "Generally Satisfed. [sic]". Rapid City Journal. March 13, 1889. p. 1. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
45. "Church Playing Even". The Mitchell Capital. March 15, 1889. p. 3. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
46. McMullin 1984, pp. 93–95.
47. "Arthur C. Mellette". State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
48. U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 51st Cong., special sess., 5, accessed May 31, 2023.
49. U.S. Congress. Senate Exec. Journal. 51st Cong., special sess., 9, accessed May 31, 2023.