William Alanson Howard

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William Alanson Howard

William Alanson Howard (born April 8, 1813 in Hinesburg , Chittenden County , Vermont , † April 10, 1880 in Washington, DC ) was an American politician and from 1878 to 1880 the 6th  governor of the Dakota Territory .

Early years and political advancement

William Howard attended the local schools in his home country and then trained as a cabinet maker in Albion ( New York ) until 1832 . In the following years he expanded his education. He studied at Middlebury College in Vermont , among others . After moving to Michigan , he studied law there and was admitted to the bar in 1842. He then began to practice in Detroit in his new profession.

Howard was a Chamberlain in Detroit between 1849 and 1850. Between 1855 and 1861 he represented his then home state Michigan in the US House of Representatives . From 1860 to 1861 he was party leader of the Republicans of Michigan. In this capacity, he also supported Abraham Lincoln's presidential campaign . Between 1861 and 1866, Howard was the head of the Detroit mailroom; from 1868 to 1876 he took part as a delegate at the respective Republican National Conventions . Between 1869 and 1878 he was responsible for the administration of the lands of two railway companies ( Land Commissioner ). In 1871 he applied unsuccessfully for a seat in the US Senate. Between 1872 and 1876 he was a member of the Republican National Committee .

Territorial Governor

In 1878, President Rutherford B. Hayes appointed William Howard as the new governor of the Dakota Territory. During his tenure, a wave of immigration into the territory that lasted until 1887 began . Agriculture and industry in the area took off in spite of natural disasters. This development was favored by the progressive expansion of the railway connections. Governor Howard improved health services and cared for the mentally handicapped. The school system has also been improved.

Howard had a health problem even before he was territorial governor. These worsened from 1879 and on April 10, 1880 he died in Washington. He was the first Dakota Territorial Governor to die in office.

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personal data
SURNAME Howard, William Alanson
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH April 8, 1813
PLACE OF BIRTH Hinesburg , Vermont
DATE OF DEATH April 10, 1880
Place of death Washington, DC