Benjamin Harrison Eaton

Benjamin Eaton

Benjamin Harrison Eaton (born December 15, 1833 in Coshocton , Ohio , † October 29, 1904 in Greeley , Missouri ) was an American politician ( Republican Party ) and from 1885 to 1887 the fourth governor of the state of Colorado .

Early years and political advancement

Eaton attended West Bedford Academy and then took up the profession of teacher himself. He practiced this temporarily in Iowa . In 1859 he moved to Colorado. There and in the adjacent New Mexico Territory , he participated in the search for gold. Then he became a farmer in Colorado. During the Civil War he served in a New Mexico volunteer unit.

In 1866 he was elected justice of the peace. He held this office for nine years. He was also the County Commissioner in Weld County for six years . In 1872 he was a member of the territorial parliament; In 1875 he was elected to the Colorado Territory Senate. In 1884 he was elected the new governor of his state.

Governor of colorado

Eaton took up his new office on January 13, 1885. During his two-year term in office, he was mainly concerned with agricultural issues such as irrigation problems or the support of farmers and their facilities. A conflict over the use of the land that was still free at that time had to be settled with the help of a decision by US President Grover Cleveland . At the end of his term of office, Eaton decided not to run again.

After his governorship, Eaton returned to his agricultural interests. He built one of the largest irrigation systems in Colorado. He built a mill in the city ​​of Eaton named after him . Benjamin Eaton died on October 29, 1904. He was married twice with a total of three children.

Web links

• Benjamin Eaton in the National Governors Association (English)
• Benjamin Harrison Eaton in the database of Find a Grave (English)