Charles H. Sheldon

Charles Henry Sheldon (born September 12, 1840 in Johnson , Lamoille County , Vermont , † October 20, 1898 in Deadwood , South Dakota ) was an American politician and from 1893 to 1897 the second governor of the state of South Dakota.

Early years

Sheldon attended Lamoille County School . After the early death of his father, he worked as a temporary worker on the farms in his homeland between 1852 and 1858 and was then employed by a shopkeeper. In the run-up to the civil war , he supported the movement to abolish slavery . During the war he fought in a Vermont infantry unit . By the time he left the Union Army in 1865, he had made it to the position of captain . After the war, he moved to Pope County , Illinois , where he worked as a trader. After another move, he came to what is now Brown County in South Dakota, which was then still part of the Dakota Territory . The reason for this move was the state of health of his son, who had malaria and the doctors had recommended a northern climate.

Political career

Sheldon was a member of the Republican Party . Between 1886 and 1887 he was a member of the territorial parliament of Dakota. In 1892 he was elected the new governor of South Dakota. He replaced Arthur C. Mellette on January 3, 1893 . After a re-election in 1894, he was able to serve as governor until January 1, 1897. His term of office was overshadowed by an economic crisis that broke out in 1893. The country's tax revenue continued to decline and the budget deficit grew steadily. This was exacerbated when former Treasury Secretary W. W. Taylor disappeared to South America with about $ 367,000 from the treasury. Paradoxically, Sheldon had expressly praised Taylor as a good finance minister just a few days before he became aware of his misconduct.

After the end of his second term, Sheldon retired to his farm in Pierpont . In 1898 he campaigned for his party. On October 15, 1898, he gave his last speech in Deadwood. He died of pneumonia three days later. Charles Sheldon was married twice and had a total of five children.

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personal data
SURNAME	Sheldon, Charles H.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Sheldon, Charles Henry (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	September 12, 1840
PLACE OF BIRTH	Johnson , Vermont
DATE OF DEATH	October 20, 1898
Place of death	Deadwood , South Dakota