Arthur C. Mellette

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Arthur C. Mellette
1st Governor of South Dakota
In office 1889 – 1893
Preceded by	Governors of Dakota Territory
Succeeded by	Charles H. Sheldon
Governor of Dakota Territory
In office 1885 – 1889
Preceded by	Louis K. Church
Succeeded by	Governors of North Dakota and South Dakota
Born	June 25, 1842(1842-06-25) Henry County, Indiana
Died	May 25, 1896 (aged 53)
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Margaret Wylie

Arthur C. Mellette (June 25, 1842 – May 25, 1896) was the last Governor of the Dakota Territory and was the first Governor of the state of South Dakota.

[edit] Biography

Mellette was the son of Charles Mellette and was born in Henry County, Indiana. He was educated at Marion Academy. In 1862, Mellette entered Indiana University as a sophomore and graduated in 1863. On October 6, 1864, Mellette enlisted in Company H of the 9th Indiana Volunteers, serving as a conscripted soldier until mustering out on September 28, 1865. He served in the army as a substitute for his older invalid brother and experienced many humiliations as a result. In 1866, Mellette graduated from the School of Law at the Indiana University and went to Muncie, Indiana, where he began practicing law with Thomas J. Brady. On May 26, 1866, he married Margaret Wylie. Mellette was elected as district attorney for Delaware County, Indiana. In 1870, he purchased the "Muncie Times" and made the newspaper very influential and prosperous. During that same year, Mellette was elected the county superintendent of schools.

When his wife became ill, Mellette visited western states to find a climate that would be beneficial to her. Mellette's family eventually settled in Springfield, Dakota Territory, for two years; and, Mellette served as register of the United States Land Office in Springfield until the land office was moved to Watertown, Dakota Territory, in 1880. In October 1885, the Republicans nominated Mellette for governor of Dakota Territory. In November 1885, Mellette ran unopposed for the office of governor; and, voters selected Huron as the temporary capitol of Dakota Territory. In 1889, voters approved the new constitution for South Dakota and elected Arthur C. Mellette as South Dakota's first Governor. On November 2, 1889, President Benjamin Harrison signed the proclamation to make South Dakota the fortieth state

[edit] External links

• Arthur C. Mellette's "Dakota Profile" biography
• Arthur C. Mellette's "Weekly South Dakotan" biography
• Arthur C. Mellette's biography at the Historical Society of North Dakota website
• Arthur C. Mellette's burial record at Findagrave.com

v • d • e Governors of Dakota Territory Jayne • Edmunds • Faulk • Burbank • Pennington • Howard • Ordway • Pierce • Church • Mellette

v • d • e Governors of South Dakota Mellette · Sheldon · Lee · Herreid · Elrod · Crawford · Vessey · Byrne · Norbeck · McMaster · Gunderson · Bulow · Green · Berry · Jensen · Bushfield · Sharpe · G.T. Mickelson · Anderson · Foss · Herseth · Gubbrud · Boe · Farrar · Kneip · Wollman · Janklow · G.S. Mickelson · Miller · Janklow · Rounds

Persondata
NAME	Mellette, Arthur C.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	South Dakota politician
DATE OF BIRTH	June 25, 1842
PLACE OF BIRTH	Henry County, Indiana
DATE OF DEATH	May 25, 1896
PLACE OF DEATH