Sunday, August 27, 2023

Oddly Named Governors - Part II

Last week, we looked at Alabama to whatever come before Montana. Now, on to Wyoming!


Montana

Green Clay Smith (1866-1869, Unionist)

Fun fact:  Graduate of Transylvania Univ.; ran for president on the Prohibition Party ticket (see Kansas for another one)

Honorable mention:  Wiley Scribner, Donald Grant Nutter


Nebraska

Ashton C Shallenberger (1909-1911, Democrat)

Fun facts:  C stood for Cokayne

Honorable mention:  Silas Garber, Albinus Nance, Ezra P Savage, Lorenzo Crounse


Nevada

Tasker Oddie (1011-1915, Republican)

Fun facts:  Made millions in silver

Honorable mention:  Steve Sisolak, Morely Griswold, Reinhold Sadler, Denver S Dickinson, Roswell K Colcord


New Hampshire

Moody Currier (1885-1887, Republican)

Fun facts:  Illegitimate, lived to age 92; see Oregon for another Moody

Honorable mention:  Meschech Weare, Hiram A Tuttle, Ezekiel A Straw, Person Colby Cheney


New Jersey

Peter Dumont Vroom (1829-1832, Democrat)

Fun fact:  “Not to be confused with the actor who plays Lance Smart [Wikipedia].”

Honorable mention:  Foster McGown Vorhees, Woodrow Wilson (yeah, I realize he was POTUS, but it’s still a funny name), Philemon Dickerson, Chris Christie (2016 & 2024 presidential candidate)


New York

Enos T Throop (1829-1832, Republican)

Fun fact:  Became governor when buddy Martin Van Buren was made Secretary of State

Honorable mention:  John Jay (yup, that John Jay), Nelson Rockefeller (ya gotta admit it, Rockefeller’s a pretty funny name), Horatio Seymour (yup, that Horatio Seymour), W Averell Harriman (yup, that Averell Harriman), Eliot Spitzer (yup, the guy who resigned after that prostitution scandal), Roswell P Flower, Hamilton Fish


North Carolina

Montfort Stokes (1830-1832, Democrat)

Fun fact: “Only soldier of the American Revolutionary War buried in Oklahoma [thanks, Wikipedia!].”

Honorable mention:  John Baptista Ashe, John Motley Morehead (“the Father of Modern North Carolina [NCpedia]”), Hutchens Gordon Burton, Clyde R Hoey, Zebulon Vance


North Dakota

Ragnvald Nestos (1921-1925, Republican)

Fun fact:  Native of Norway; became guv when the previous guy was recalled

Honorable mention:  Ole H Olsen, Walter Welford, Frederick B Fancher, George A Sinner, Eli CD Shortridge


Ohio

Return J Meigs Jr (1810-1814, Democrat)

Fun fact:  Won the 1807 gubernatorial contest, but couldn’t take office because he didn’t meet residency requirements

Honorable mention:  Rutherford B Hayes (yeah, I know, POTUS, but still pretty odd), Mordecai Bartley, Seabury Ford, Othniel Looker


Oklahoma

Frank Frantz (1906-1907, Republican)

Fun fact:  Appointed by his Rough Rider buddy, Teddy Roosevelt

Honorable mention:  Thompson Benton Ferguson (sounds like a law firm), Cassius McDonald Barnes, Dewey F Bartlett


Oregon

Zenas Ferry Moody (1882-1887, Republican)

Another Moody! (see NH for more)

Fun fact:  “Governor Moody combines with discrimination and firmness of purpose a courteous manner, that prompts him to accord a respectful bearing to all. Physically he is of a splendid type. He is of compact build, with a handsome, ruddy face that indicates sound health, a keen, sparkling eye through which is displayed a cheerful and sociable nature, determined to extract all good things from life consistent with sobriety, and an elastic step and a rapid movement that bespeak the busy man of affairs. He is one who lives well, and appears well, and in the discharge of all his duties, public and private, redeems his promise of doing well. [History of the Pacific Northwest Oregon and Washington]”

Honorable mention:  Theodore Thurston Geer, La Fayette Grover, Albin Walter Norblad Sr, Sylvester Pennoyer


Pennsylvania

Samuel W Pennypacker (1903-1907, Republican)

Fun fact:  Surname comes from the German for someone who bakes tile (for roofs)

Honorable mention:  Simon Snider, John F Hartranft, Francis R Shunk, Gifford Pinchot (yup, the forestry guy)


Rhode Island

Ambrose Burnside (1866-1869, Republican)

Fun fact:  Terrible Civil War general; namesake of sideburns

Honorable mention:  Seth Padelford, Lincoln Almond, Aram J Pothier, Royal C Taft, Emery J San Souci


South Carolina

C’mon, Arnie, give us a smile

Arnoldus Vanderhorst (1794-1796)

Fun fact:  Fought in the Revolutionary War under Francis Marion (the Swamp Fox)

Honorable mention:  Burnet R Maybank, Strom Thurmond (died at age 100), Rawlins Lowndes, Whitemarsh Benjamin Seabrook (author has visited his plantation), Cole L Blease, Barnabas Kelet Henagan


South Dakota

“Crawford, known as a spirited orator and debater, is portrayed in an aggressive pose,
ready to vigorously defend his position [trailofgovernors.com].”

Coe I Crawford (1909-1915, Republican)

Fun fact:  Married two sisters (the 1st one having passed away)

Honorable mention:  Archie M Gubbrud, Merrell Q Sharpe, Nils Boe, Harlan J Bushfield


Tennessee

Henry Hollis Horton (1927-1933, Democrat)

Alliteration for the win!

Fun fact:  Impeached for financial scandals, though able to serve out his term

Honorable mention:  Austin Peay (pronounced “pea”), Newton Cannon, Buford Ellington, Dewitt Clinton Senter


Texas

Beauford H Jester (1947-1949, Democrat)

"Fun" fact:  Only Texas governor to have died in office

Honorable mention:  Jim Hogg, Pendleton Murrah, James W Throckmorton, Dolph Briscoe, Oscar Branch Colquitt, Elisha M Pease, Oran Milo Roberts


Utah

Heber Manning Wells (1896-1905, Republican)

Fun fact:  Utah’s first state governor, as well as its youngest (assumed office at 36)

Honorable mention:  Simon Bamberger, Norman H Bangerter, Samuel Beach Axtel, Caleb Walton West


Virginia

Goin’ motorin’ with the missus!

Elbert Lee Trinkle (1922-1926, Democrat)

Fun fact:  “Received a medal from the National Committee on Prisons and Prison Labor for supporting the exchange of prison-made goods between prisons of the various states [National Governors Association].”

Honorable mention:  Fitzhugh Lee (Confederate general), Beverley Randolph (a guy), J Lindsay Almond, Littleton Waller Tazewell


Vermont

Asahel Peck (1874-1876, Republican)

Fun fact:  Originally a Democrat; life-long bachelor

Honorable mention:  Cornelius P Van Ness, Erastus Fairbanks, Urban A Woodberry, Jonas Galusha, Carlos Coolidge (distant relation of Cal)


Washington

Monrad Wallgren (1945-1949, Democrat)

Fun fact:  “An outstanding player of carom billiards [Wikipedia]”

Honorable mention:  Watson C Squire


West Virginia

Now sure why he looks so concerned

Aretas P Fleming (1890-1893, Democratic)

Fun fact:  Big-time election dispute (so maybe that’s what he’s worried about)

Honorable mention:  Jay Rockefeller (c’mon, admit it, Rockefeller’s a pretty funny name), Homer A Holt, Jim Justice (incumbent), Okey Patteson, Gaston Caperton, Herman G Kump


Wisconsin

Cadwallader C Washburn (1972-1874, Republican)

Fun fact:  Founded company that would eventually become General Mills; left $90M at his death (adjusted for inflation)

Honorable mention:  Tommy Thompson (longest-serving WI guv; ran for prez in 2008), Gaylord Nelson, Oscar Rennebohm, Coles Bashford, Orland Steen Loomis, Arthur McArthur Sr


Wyoming

Whoa, dude, that’s one nasty cowlick

Thomas Moonlight (1887-1889, Democrat)

Fun fact:  Native of Scotland; army officer, mustered out of the service for drunkenness

Honorable mention:  David Freudenthal (“joyful valley,” auf Deutsch), Millward Simpson, Matt Mead, Bryon Butler Brooks, Fenimore Chatterton

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