First Governor and Legislature of Utah presented by Genealogy Trails

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FIRST GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATURE OF UTAH

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GOVERNOR WELLS
Heber M. Wells, the first governor of the State of Utah, was born in Salt Lake City on August n, 1859. His father, Daniel H. Wells, was one of the first settlers of Utah; was the first attorney-general of the State of Deseret; was one of the party that located the City of Ogden in August, 1850; was major-general in the reorganized Nauvoo Legion; served as president of the council in every legislature from 1858 to 1864, and in 1866 was elected mayor of Salt Lake City. His death occurred on March 24, 1891.

Governor Wells was educated in the public schools of his native city and in the University of Utah. In 1882 he was appointed recorder of Salt Lake City, to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of John T. Caine, and was afterward elected three times, holding the office until 1890. In 1892 he was a candidate for mayor of Salt Lake City, but was defeated with the rest of his party ticket. He served two terms as a member of the board of public works; was secretary of the constitutional convention of 1887; was a member of the constitutional convention of 1895; was nominated by the republican state convention of that year for governor and was elected on November 5, 1895. the same day the constitution was ratified by the people; was reelected in 1900 and served two full terms as Utah's first chief executive. "Upon retiring from the office in January, 1905, he turned his attention to banking and commercial pursuits.

[Utah Since Statehood: Historical and Biographical, Volume 1 By The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1919 – Transcribed by AFOFG]

FIRST LEGISLATURE
The constitution framed by the convention and ratified by the people on November 5,1895, divided the state into eighteen senatorial districts, each of which was represented by a state senator, and twenty-seven representative districts, to which were apportioned forty-five members of the lower house of the legislature. Neither the constitution nor the Enabling Act provided the time for the commencement of the first session of the new state's legislature, hence the first official act of Governor Wells was to convene that body in special session, to commence on January 6, 1896, at 2 o'clock P. M. The senate was organized by the election of George M. Cannon, of Salt Lake County, as president and Lillie R. Pardee as secretary; and the house elected Presley Denny, of Beaver County, speaker and William M. Thompson, chief clerk. The members of the two branches of the legislature, elected in November, 1895, at the same time as the state officers, were as follows:

Senate—Edward M. Allison, John R. Barnes, Hiram E. Booth, William D. Candland, George M. Cannon, Robert C. Chambers, John F. Chidester, James P. Driscoll, Abel J. Evans, Elmer B. Jones, David McKay, Glen Miller, Reuben F. Miller, Edward H. Snow, George Sutherland, Malin M. Warner, Noble Warrum, Jr., Abraham Zundell.

House of Representatives—James Andrus, George Beard, John M. Bernheisel, James M. Bolitho, Albert Cazier, Edgar L. Clark, Amasa S. Condon, Lee A. Curtis, Harwood N. Cushing, Edward B. Critchlow, Presley Denny, R. E. Egan, James X. Ferguson, Thomas Ferguson, William H. Gibbs, William Gibson, Nathan J. Harris, Daniel Heiner, William Howard, Marinus Larsen, Hyrum Lemmon, Thomas D. Lewis, John Lowry, Sr., M. W. Mansfield, Peter M. Maughan, Joseph Monson, Charles Morrill, Seth M. Morrison, Joseph R. Murdock, Aquilla Nebeker, William P. Nebeker, George L. Nye, Emil J. Raddatz, Joseph E. Robinson, Thomas Sevy, John H. Shafer. Abraham O. Smoot, John F. Snedaker, Andrew P. Sorensen, Thomas J. Stevens, Alvin V. Taylor, Orville Thompson, Peter Thompson, James T. Thorne, William W. Wilson.

[Utah Since Statehood: Historical and Biographical, Volume 1 By The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1919 – Transcribed by AFOFG]

©2012 Genealogy Trails

FIRST GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATURE OF UTAH
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GOVERNOR WELLS Heber M. Wells, the first governor of the State of Utah, was born in Salt Lake City on August n, 1859. His father, Daniel H. Wells, was one of the first settlers of Utah; was the first attorney-general of the State of Deseret; was one of the party that located the City of Ogden in August, 1850; was major-general in the reorganized Nauvoo Legion; served as president of the council in every legislature from 1858 to 1864, and in 1866 was elected mayor of Salt Lake City. His death occurred on March 24, 1891. Governor Wells was educated in the public schools of his native city and in the University of Utah. In 1882 he was appointed recorder of Salt Lake City, to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of John T. Caine, and was afterward elected three times, holding the office until 1890. In 1892 he was a candidate for mayor of Salt Lake City, but was defeated with the rest of his party ticket. He served two terms as a member of the board of public works; was secretary of the constitutional convention of 1887; was a member of the constitutional convention of 1895; was nominated by the republican state convention of that year for governor and was elected on November 5, 1895. the same day the constitution was ratified by the people; was reelected in 1900 and served two full terms as Utah's first chief executive. "Upon retiring from the office in January, 1905, he turned his attention to banking and commercial pursuits. [Utah Since Statehood: Historical and Biographical, Volume 1 By The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1919 – Transcribed by AFOFG] FIRST LEGISLATURE The constitution framed by the convention and ratified by the people on November 5,1895, divided the state into eighteen senatorial districts, each of which was represented by a state senator, and twenty-seven representative districts, to which were apportioned forty-five members of the lower house of the legislature. Neither the constitution nor the Enabling Act provided the time for the commencement of the first session of the new state's legislature, hence the first official act of Governor Wells was to convene that body in special session, to commence on January 6, 1896, at 2 o'clock P. M. The senate was organized by the election of George M. Cannon, of Salt Lake County, as president and Lillie R. Pardee as secretary; and the house elected Presley Denny, of Beaver County, speaker and William M. Thompson, chief clerk. The members of the two branches of the legislature, elected in November, 1895, at the same time as the state officers, were as follows: Senate—Edward M. Allison, John R. Barnes, Hiram E. Booth, William D. Candland, George M. Cannon, Robert C. Chambers, John F. Chidester, James P. Driscoll, Abel J. Evans, Elmer B. Jones, David McKay, Glen Miller, Reuben F. Miller, Edward H. Snow, George Sutherland, Malin M. Warner, Noble Warrum, Jr., Abraham Zundell. House of Representatives—James Andrus, George Beard, John M. Bernheisel, James M. Bolitho, Albert Cazier, Edgar L. Clark, Amasa S. Condon, Lee A. Curtis, Harwood N. Cushing, Edward B. Critchlow, Presley Denny, R. E. Egan, James X. Ferguson, Thomas Ferguson, William H. Gibbs, William Gibson, Nathan J. Harris, Daniel Heiner, William Howard, Marinus Larsen, Hyrum Lemmon, Thomas D. Lewis, John Lowry, Sr., M. W. Mansfield, Peter M. Maughan, Joseph Monson, Charles Morrill, Seth M. Morrison, Joseph R. Murdock, Aquilla Nebeker, William P. Nebeker, George L. Nye, Emil J. Raddatz, Joseph E. Robinson, Thomas Sevy, John H. Shafer. Abraham O. Smoot, John F. Snedaker, Andrew P. Sorensen, Thomas J. Stevens, Alvin V. Taylor, Orville Thompson, Peter Thompson, James T. Thorne, William W. Wilson. [Utah Since Statehood: Historical and Biographical, Volume 1 By The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1919 – Transcribed by AFOFG]



©2012 Genealogy Trails