William Pickering (governor)
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William Pickering (March 15, 1798 – April 22, 1873), was a Republican and the fifth governor of Washington territory, from (1862 – 1866).
Pickering was born in Yorkshire, England.
He graduated from Oxford University in 1820. The following year he moved to Edwards County, Illinois, acquiring property and involving himself in various businesses in the area of Albion, Illinois. He married Martha Flowers in March of 1824, and served in the Illinois legislature from 1842 to 1852.
He was a delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1860. In 1862 President Lincoln offered him the choice of being either part of the United States Ministry in England or Governor of the Washington territory, known at the time as the territory of Columbia. Pickering chose the governorship, and he moved to the territorial capital, Olympia, in June of 1862, and served as governor until 1866. On September 4, 1864, he sent the first message over a transcontinental telegraph line. Under the leadership of Territorial Governor William Pickering, state government took responsibility for the care of the mentally ill. Lacking funds to build a hospital, the state contracted for the care of the mentally ill with the Sisters of Charity (now the Sisters of Providence), but, because of lack of funds, it was 19 months before the Sisters began to receive payment. [1].
After his term, he moved back to Illinois, where he died in 1873.
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| Governors of Washington Territory |  |
|---|---|
| Stevens • McMullen • Gholson • Wallace • Pickering • Cole • Moore • Flanders • Salomon • Ferry • Newell • Squire • Semple • Moore |
