Wilbur F. Sanders
Wilbur Fiske Sanders (born May 2, 1834 in Leon , Cattaraugus County , New York , † July 7, 1905 in Helena , Montana ) was an American politician ( Republican Party ) and one of the first two US Senators for the state of Montana .
After attending school, Wilbur Sanders worked as a teacher in New York before moving to Ohio in 1854 , where he initially also practiced this profession. He then trained as a lawyer in Akron and was admitted to the bar in 1856. In the summer of 1861 he set up an infantry company and an artillery battery for use in the civil war . In the 64th Infantry Regiment of the Union Army , he took the rank of First Lieutenant and the function of an adjutant . In 1862 he was entrusted with the construction of defenses along the rail network south of Nashville .
When his intended term of service was over, Sanders left the military and settled in the part of the Idaho Territory that later became the state of Montana. He began to practice as a lawyer there; he was also active in mining and stockbreeding. In 1864, 1867, 1880 and 1886 he applied for the post of delegate in the US House of Representatives for the now established Montana Territory , but failed in each case. From 1873 to 1879 he was a member of the territorial House of Representatives. During this time he also played an important role in building the rule of law in the area. He also acted as a prosecutor and during that time brought charges against members of a criminal gang known as the "Montana Vigilantes". Ultimately, numerous death sentences were passed and carried out.
After Montana was admitted to the Union, Sanders and the Republican Thomas Charles Power were elected as the first two representatives of the new state in the US Senate. Sanders' tenure in Washington, DC began on January 1, 1890 and ended after an unsuccessful re-election attempt on March 3, 1893. During this time he chaired the Committee on Enrolled Bills . He was no longer politically active and died in Helena in 1905, where he was also buried. The Sanders County in the far west of Montana is named after Wilbur Sanders.
Web links
- Wilbur F. Sanders in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)
- Wilbur F. Sanders in the database of Find a Grave (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Sanders, Wilbur F. |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Sanders, Wilbur F. (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 2, 1834 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Leon , New York |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 7, 1905 |
| Place of death | Helena , Montana |