Edward A. Stevenson: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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{{Short description|American politician}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2011}}

{{For|the New York politician|Edward A. Stevenson Sr.}}

{{Infobox Officeholder

| name=Edward A. Stevenson

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| successor=[[George L. Shoup]]

| birth_date=June 15, 1831

| birth_place= [[Lowville (town), New York|Lowville]], New York]]

| dead = dead

| death_date={{death date and age|1895|7|6|1831|6|15}}

| death_place=[[Monterey County, California|Monterey County]], California

| residence=

| spouse=Harriet Marcy (1855–9)<br />Anna D. Orr (1860)

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| party=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]

|}}

'''Edward Augustus Stevenson''' (June 15, 1831 – July 6, 1895) was governoran American politician who was Governor of the [[Idaho Territory]] from 1885 to 1889. Stevenson was the first resident of Idaho Territory appointed to the position and the only [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] to hold the office.

Stevenson's political career began in California where he held a variety of political positions including [[Speaker pro Tempore]] of the [[California State Legislature]]. After moving to [[Idaho Territory]] he remained active in politics until his appointment as governor. As governor, Stevenson exerted most of his efforts lobbying for the territory to be granted statehood.

==Early life==

Stevenson was born June 15, 1831, in [[Lowville (town), New York|Lowville]], New York.{{#tag:refefn|Some sources list [[Phelps (town), New York|Phelps]], New York instead of Lowville as the place of Stevenson's birth.<ref name="{{sfn|McMullin & |Walker 140"/>|group="Note"1984|namep="BirthPlace"140}}}<ref name="}{{sfn|McMullin & |Walker 140">McMullin & Walker |1984|p. =140</ref>}} His family included several future politician, including his brother [[Charles C. Stevenson|Charles]], who became the fifth [[List of Governors of Nevada|Governor of Nevada]], his half brother [[John Stevenson (CanadianOntario politician)|John]], who became the first Speaker of the [[Legislative Assembly of Ontario]], and his cousin [[Adlai E. Stevenson I|Adlai]], who became Vice President of the United States.<ref>{{Cite journal | last = Stevenson | first = John R. | title = The Family of Arthur Stevenson | journal=The Jerseyman | volume = 9 | issue = 2 | pages = 15–20 | date = May 1903 | url = httphttps://books.google.com/books?id=hKI-AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA17}}</ref><ref name="NYTobit"/> In 1839, his family lived in Canada for a short time before settling on a farm in [[Washtenaw County, Michigan]]. Stevenson received an education there, first in the local schools and then at Grass Lake Academy.<ref name="{{sfn|McMullin & |Walker |1984|p=140"/>}}

==California==

Stevenson left home in 1849 as part of the [[California Gold Rush]].<ref name="ISHS">{{Cite web | author=Idaho State Historical Society | title = Edward Augustus Stevenson | work=Idaho State Historical Society's Reference Series | year = 1971 | url = http://www.idahohistory.net/Reference%20Series/0551.pdf | format = PDF | accessdateaccess-date = 2009-11-24}}</ref> He soon became involved in politics, being elected [[Justice of the Peace]] for [[El Dorado County, California|El Dorado County]] and to the [[California State Legislature]] in 1853 and 1854.<ref name="{{sfn|McMullin & |Walker |1984|p=140"/>}}

Stevenson married Harriet Marcy on June 10, 1855. The marriage would produce three children: Frank, Harriet, and Wilmot.<ref name="genealogy">{{cite book |lastlast1=Spofford |firstfirst1=Jeremiah |last2=Spofford |first2=Aphia Tenney|title=A genealogical record : including two generations in female lines of families spelling their name Spofford, Spafford, Spafard and Spaford, descendants of John Spofford and Elizabeth Scott, who emigrated in 1638 from Yorkshire, England and settled at Rowley, Essex country, Mass |publisher=A. Mudge & Son|location=Boston |year=1888 | oclc = 80434037|url=httphttps://booksarchive.google.comorg/books?id=2l1BAAAAYAAJdetails/genealogicalreco1888spof2|page=[https://archive.org/details/genealogicalreco1888spof2/page/296 296]}}</ref>

The year after the wedding, the couple moved to a farm in [[Tehama County, California|Tehama County]]. Stevenson worked as an [[Indian agent]] for two years before his wife and children were killed by the Indians while he was away on official business.<ref name="{{sfn|McMullin & |Walker |1984|p=140"/><ref name}}{{sfn|French|1914|pp="French 85-6">French p. 85-6</ref> }}

Following this loss, Stevenson was again elected for terms in the [[California State Legislature]] in 1859 and 1860.<ref name="{{sfn|McMullin & |Walker |1984|p=140"/>}} Other positions of influence include his election as [[Speaker pro Tempore]] during his time as a legislator and his selection as [[deputy sheriff]] and Mayor of [[Coloma, California]].<ref name="ISHS"/>

Stevenson remarried in November 1860. His marriage to Anna D. Orr produced a son, Charles C., who would become City Attorney for Boise, Idaho.<ref name="{{sfn|McMullin & |Walker |1984|p=140"/>}}<ref name="genealogy"/>

==Idaho==

Stevenson moved to Idaho Territory in 1863 during the Idaho [[gold rush]].<ref name="{{sfn|Limbaugh 171">Limbaugh |1982|p. =171</ref>}} He settled in the Boise Basin and soon acquired mining interests near [[Grimes Pass, Idaho]].<ref name="ISHS"/> The next year he reentered politics by becoming Justice of the Peace.<ref name="{{sfn|McMullin & |Walker |1984|p=140"/>}} This was followed by 6 election runs for the territorial legislature, three successful and three unsuccessful.<ref name="ISHS"/> As result of his campaigns in 1866 and 1876 he served a pair of two-year terms on the [[upper house|Council]], while his election campaign in 1874 resulted in him becoming Speaker of the [[lower house|House of Representatives]].<ref name="{{sfn|McMullin & |Walker |1984|p=140"/>}}

In 1876, while also serving as a member of the [[Boise County, Idaho|Boise County]] [[County commission|Commission]], he began [[reading law]] and was [[admitted to the bar]] two years later.<ref name="{{sfn|McMullin & |Walker |1984|p=140"/>}} In 1882 he moved to the Payette Valley and shifted his business interests from mining to farming.<ref name="ISHS"/>

==Governorship==

Based upon a recommendation from Territorial Delegate [[John Hailey]], Stevenson was nominated to become Governor of Idaho Territory by [[Grover Cleveland]] on September 29, 1885.<ref name{{sfn|Limbaugh|1982|pp="Limbaugh 171-2">Limbaugh p. 171-2</ref>}} Following confirmation, his term of office began on October 10, 1885.<ref name="ISHS"/> By this time, Stevenson was associated with the territory's agricultural interests and his nomination represented a change of national policy allowing for more local control within the territory.<ref name="{{sfn|McMullin & |Walker |1984|p=140"/>}} He was Idaho Territory's only [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] governor and the first governor who resided within the territory at time of appointment.<ref name="{{sfn|McMullin & |Walker |1984|p=140"/><ref name}}{{sfn|Limbaugh|1982|pp="Limbaugh 171-2"/>}}

Stevenson emphasized non-partisanship upon assuming office.<ref name="{{sfn|Limbaugh 177">Limbaugh |1982|p. =177</ref>}} He lobbied for expansion of the territory's mail routes and the size of the militia. Stevenson also opposed the burning of large sections of forest by the territory's Indian population along with other wasteful uses of natural resources. The new governor also lobbied for increases to the federally imposed limits to the territorial government's budget.<ref name="{{sfn|McMullin & |Walker |1984|p=140"/>}}

While Stevenson softened the anti-Mormon stance of his predecessors, his administration took a noticeably anti-Chinese stance. Chinese workers, who had immigrated to the United States during the 1850s and 1860s, were seen as a threat to the economic welfare of Anglo workers.<ref name="{{sfn|Limbaugh 177">Limbaugh |1982|p. =177</ref>}} The issue came to a head in 1885 when five Chinese merchants were hanged as murderers in [[Pierce, Idaho|Pierce City]]. The Chinese Minister to the United States called for the incident to be fully investigated. Stevenson responded by decreeing the hung men had been guilty and had brought about incident with their "filthy habits". The governor also called for the deportation and exclusion of all Chinese from the territory.<ref name="{{sfn|McMullin & |Walker 140-1">McMullin & Walker p. |1984|pp=140-1</ref>}}

Despite these incidents, the primary emphasis of Stevenson's administration was lobbying for expanded national representation and influence for the territory. He initially called for changes to Idaho's [[Organic Act]] that would allow the governor more control over territorial appointments and grant residents "the privilege and right of voting in the election of President and Vice President of the united States".<ref name="{{sfn|Limbaugh 177">Limbaugh |1982|p. =177</ref>}} This effort changed in 1889 when Stevenson abandoned territorial reform efforts and instead began lobbying for statehood.<ref name="{{sfn|Limbaugh 178">Limbaugh |1982|p. =178</ref>}} The first problem he faced in this effort was a call by Idaho's northern counties to be joined to either western Montana or eastern Washington in a new territory. At the same time, Nevada was looking to annex the territory's southern counties. These efforts were looked upon favorably in the U.S. Congress, but through his friendship with President Cleveland, Stevenson was able to block the changes from occurring.<ref name="{{sfn|McMullin & |Walker 141">McMullin & Walker |1984|p. =141</ref><ref name}}{{sfn|Limbaugh|1982|pp="Limbaugh 178-9">Limbaugh p. 178-9</ref>}}

Following the inauguration of [[Benjamin Harrison]] as President of the United States, Stevenson's days as governor came to an end, with Republican candidates lobbying to replace the Democratic governor. Stevenson's successor, [[George L. Shoup]], was sworn in on April 30, 1889.<ref name="{{sfn|Limbaugh 181">Limbaugh |1982|p. =181</ref>}}

==Later life==

After his term as territorial governor, Stevenson moved back to his farm. In addition to his farming activities, he won the contract for a profitable mail run.<ref name="{{sfn|McMullin & |Walker 141">McMullin & Walker |1984|p. =141</ref>}} In 1894, he ran unsuccessfully for state governor.<ref>{{Cite news | title = The November Elections | newspaper=New York Times | pages = 28 | date = October 28, 1894 | url = httphttps://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9807EED71531E033A2575BC2A9669D94659ED7CF}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | title = Idaho Straight Republican | newspaper=New York Times | pages = 5 | date = November 7, 1894 | url = httphttps://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B03E1D61531E033A25754C0A9679D94659ED7CF }}</ref>

The strains of the campaign proved deleterious to Stevenson's health, and he moved to Paraiso Springs in [[Monterey County, California]], in an effort to recover. The former governor died there on July 6, 1895, from a [[laudanum]] overdose and was buried at the Pioneer Cemetery in [[Boise, IdahoPioneer Cemetery]].<ref name="NYTobit">{{Cite news | title = The Late ex-Gov. Stevenson of Idaho | newspaper=New York Times | pages = 4 | date = July 12, 1895 | url = httphttps://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9803EEDB103DE433A25751C1A9619C94649ED7CF }}</ref><ref name="{{sfn|McMullin & |Walker |1984|p=141"/>}}

==Footnotes==

{{notelist}}

<div class="references-small">

<references group="Note"/>

</div>

==References==

{{reflist|2}}

{{refbegin}}

* {{cite book |last=French |first=Hiram T |title=History of Idaho; a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests |publisher=Lewis Pub. Co|location=Chicago |year=1914 | oclc = 2739177|url=httphttps://booksarchive.google.comorg/details/books?id=WN8UAAAAYAAJhistoryofidahona01fren }}

* {{cite book |last=Limbaugh |first=Ronald H. |title=Rocky Mountain Carpetbaggers: Idaho's Territorial Governors, 1863–1890 |publisher=University Press of Idaho|location=Moscow, Idaho |year=1982 | isbn = 0-89301-082-0 }}

* {{cite book |lastlast1=McMullin |firstfirst1=Thomas A. |last2=Walker |first2=David |title=Biographical Directory of American Territorial Governors |publisher=Meckler Publishing |location=Westport, CT |year=1984 | isbn = 0-930466-11-X |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/biographicaldire0000mcmu }}

{{refend}}

{{s-start}}

{{s-ppo}}

{{s-bef|before=John M. Burke}}

{{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] nominee, [[Governor of Idaho]]|years=[[1894 Idaho gubernatorial election|1894]]}}

{{s-aft|after=[[Frank Steunenberg]]}}

{{s-end}}

{{IDTerrGovernors}}

{{Authority control|VIAF=31792493}}

{{Persondata

|NAME= Stevenson, Edward Augustus

|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Stevenson, Edward A.

|SHORT DESCRIPTION= 11th Governor of Idaho Territory

|DATE OF BIRTH= June 15, 1831

|PLACE OF BIRTH= [[Lowville (town), New York|Lowville]], New York

|DATE OF DEATH= July 6, 1895

|PLACE OF DEATH= [[Monterey County, California|Monterey County]], California

}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevenson, Edward A.}}

[[Category:1831 births]]

[[Category:1895 deaths]]

[[Category:People from Lowville, New York]]

[[Category:People of the California Gold Rush]]

[[Category:Governors of Idaho Territory]]

[[Category:Members of the Idaho Territorial Legislature]]

[[Category:Members of the California State Assembly]]

[[Category:19th-century American politicians]]

[[Category:American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law]]

[[de:Edward A. Stevenson]]

[[Category:Drug-related deaths in California]]

[[pl:Edward A. Stevenson]]

[[ru:Стивенсон, Эдвард Огастес]]