Caleb Lyon

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Caleb Lyon

2^nd Governor of Idaho Territory
In office 1864 – 1865
Preceded by	William H. Wallace
Succeeded by	David W. Ballard
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 23rd district
In office March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855
Preceded by	Leander Babcock
Succeeded by	William A. Gilbert

Born	December 7, 1822 Greig, New York
Died	September 8, 1875 (aged 52) Rossville, Staten Island, New York
Political party	Independent (1850s), Republican (1860s)

Caleb Dell Lyon (born December 7, 1822 in Greig, New York – died September 8, 1875 in Staten Island, New York) was governor of Idaho Territory from 1864 to 1865 during the last half of the American Civil War.^[1]

In 1847 he was appointed US Consul to Shanghai, but never made it to China - instead he moved to California, and was credited as the designer of the California State Seal adopted in 1849, although the actual design was by Robert S. Garnett.^[2]

As territorial Governor, Lyon proved to be extremely unpopular. One journalist wrote he was "a conceited, peculiar man, who made many enemies and misappropriated much of the public funds." During Lyon's administration, the territorial capital was moved from Lewiston to Boise, reputedly because Lyon thought it was better to have the capital in a larger city.

Lyon started a diamond-prospecting frenzy when he claimed that a prospector had found a diamond near Ruby City, Idaho. Although hundreds of men staked claims, no genuine diamonds were found as a result.^[3]

Lyon served a single term in the United States House of Representatives from 1853 to 1855, representing New York as an independent.