John E. Rickards

John E. Rickards

John Ezra Rickards (born July 23, 1848 in Delaware City , Delaware , † December 25, 1927 in Berkeley , California ) was an American politician and from 1893 to 1897 the second governor of the state of Montana .

Early years and political advancement

John Rickards attended local schools in his home in Delaware. In 1867 he got his first job as a clerk in Philadelphia ( Pennsylvania ). A little later he moved via Pueblo ( Colorado ) to San Francisco in California. There he worked in retail for four years. He finally came to Butte in the Montana Territory in September 1882 . There he worked in insurance and as a real estate agent. He was also active in the oil business.

In 1885, Rickards was elected to Butte City Council. Between 1887 and 1889 he was also a member of the Territorial Parliament of Montana. After Montana was admitted to the United States as a new state in November 1889, Rickards was elected the first lieutenant governor of that state. So he was Deputy Governor Joseph Toole . In 1892, Rickards was elected as the Republican Party candidate for the new governor of Montana.

Governor of Montana

Rickards' four-year term began on January 2, 1893. During his reign, state offices were reorganized, universal law was introduced, and a state board of education was established. A law against gambling was also passed. After the end of his tenure, Rickards withdrew from politics. He moved to California, where he pursued his private business. For 18 years he was employed by the Federal Statistical Office for Population Development ( Federal Census Office ) in San Francisco.

John Rickards died on December 25, 1927. He was married twice and had a total of eight children.

Web links

• John Rickards in the National Governors Association (English)
• The governors of Montana (English)