Conrad Meyer Zulick (June 3, 1839 – March 1, 1926) was an American

jurist A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law; someone who analyses and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal qualification in law and often a legal practitioner. In the Uni ...

and

Democratic party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

activist who became the seventh Governor of

Arizona Territory The Territory of Arizona (also known as Arizona Territory) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of ...

. During his term the

Indian Wars The American Indian Wars, also known as the American Frontier Wars, and the Indian Wars, were fought by European governments and colonists in North America, and later by the United States and Canadian governments and American and Canadian settle ...

ended and the territorial capital was moved from Prescott to

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

. He is also known for having been a prisoner in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

at the time of his appointment.

Early life and education

Zulick was born June 3, 1839, in

Easton, Pennsylvania Easton is a city in, and the county seat of, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city's population was 28,127 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Easton is located at the confluence of the Lehigh River, a river tha ...

, to Anthony and Jane Morton (Cummings) Zulick. His father was an immigrant from

Frankfurt, Germany Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...

, while his mother was a Pennsylvania native. Zulick's family lived at a private school called Minerva Hall where, supplemented by private tutors, he received his early education. He was trained as an

attorney Attorney may refer to: * Lawyer ** Attorney at law, in some jurisdictions * Attorney, one who has power of attorney * ''The Attorney'', a 2013 South Korean film See also * Attorney general, the principal legal officer of (or advisor to) a gove ...

and in June 1860 was admitted to the New Jersey bar. Zulick also campaigned for

Stephen A. Douglas Stephen Arnold Douglas (April 23, 1813 – June 3, 1861) was an American politician and lawyer from Illinois. A senator, he was one of two nominees of the badly split Democratic Party for president in the 1860 presidential election, which wa ...

in the 1860 presidential election.

Career

American Civil War

When the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

began, Zulick became

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

for the Second Division of Colored Volunteers. He rose to unit commander before being discharged as a colonel for a service-incurred disability. Following discharge, he moved to

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area. Zulick married Caroline L. Nightingale and the couple had one daughter, Lillian Carlotta. Zulick's grandson was

Naval aviator Naval aviation is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. Naval aviation is typically projected to a position nearer the target by way of an aircraft carrier. Carrier-based a ...

DeWitt C. Ramsey. President

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...

appointed Zulick Collector of Internal Revenue for

Essex County, New Jersey Essex County is located in the northeastern part of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 863,728, making it the state's second-most populous county, behind Bergen and Middlesex Counties.

in 1879, and he was elected Surrogate Judge of Essex County. Zulick was a delegate to the

1880 Democratic National Convention The 1880 Democratic National Convention was held June 22 to 24, 1880, at the Music Hall in Cincinnati, Ohio, and nominated Winfield S. Hancock of Pennsylvania for president and William H. English of Indiana for vice president in the United Stat ...

and campaigned for his party. He turned down offers for political nominations to be governor or a member of Congress as he had developed business interests in

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

and planned to move to the territory. By late 1884, he moved to Tombstone, Arizona Territory.

Governorship

Zulick's appointment as Territorial Governor was due mainly to lobbying by Senator

John R. McPherson John RhodericIn a letter dated March 4, 1887, McPherson states that the "R" in his name is "nothing except a designation" and does not stand for Rhoderic. McPherson (May 9, 1833October 8, 1897) was an American businessman, inventor, and Democr ...

of New Jersey. President

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

nominated him as a

recess appointment In the United States, a recess appointment is an appointment by the president of a federal official when the U.S. Senate is in recess. Under the U.S. Constitution's Appointments Clause, the President is empowered to nominate, and with the advi ...

on October 14, 1885, with the

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

confirming the appointment on December 10, 1885. The appointment was renewed for a full four-year term on May 5, 1886. At time of his appointment, Zulick was imprisoned at Nacozari, Sonora. He had gone to the town in his role as President of the New Jersey and Sonora Copper Mines to resolve a financial dispute. After arriving he found out that under Mexican law he could be arrested and held until the company's debts were paid. A rescue mission was organized and former army scout M. T. "Doc" Donovan freed the prisoner during a 2 am foray. Zulick was not informed of his appointment as governor until he had crossed the border back into the United States. Following his rescue, Zulick enjoyed a series of receptions in Tombstone,

Tucson , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

, and

as he journeyed to the capital. The predominantly Democratic population and newspapers in turn celebrated the appointment of the first territorial governor from their party. Zulick was sworn in on November 2, 1885. The issues facing the new governor included smuggling along the

Mexican border Mexico shares international borders with three nations: *To the north the United States–Mexico border, which extends for a length of through the states of Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas. *To the south ...

patronage Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...

problems, and the recent escape by

Geronimo Geronimo ( apm, Goyaałé, , ; June 16, 1829 – February 17, 1909) was a prominent leader and medicine man from the Bedonkohe band of the Ndendahe Apache people. From 1850 to 1886, Geronimo joined with members of three other Central Apache ba ...

and a group of

Chiricahua Apache Chiricahua ( ) is a band of Apache Native Americans. Based in the Southern Plains and Southwestern United States, the Chiricahua (Tsokanende ) are related to other Apache groups: Ndendahe (Mogollon, Carrizaleño), Tchihende (Mimbreño), Sehende ...

from the

San Carlos Reservation The San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation (Western Apache: Tsékʼáádn), in southeastern Arizona, United States, was established in 1872 as a reservation for the Chiricahua Apache tribe as well as surrounding Yavapai and Apache bands removed fro ...

. To address the smuggling issue, Zulick proposed four mounted inspectors be hired to patrol the border, ensuring that duties on alcohol and tobacco were collected and to prevent problems with livestock migrating over the border. The patronage issues were due to Republican appointees from the previous administration refusing to leave their positions until a court decree forced them to vacate. The Apache uprising caused more political problems for Zulick than the border smuggling. Concern over the "hostile" Indians caused most Arizonans to call for action against the Apache. Then, while the U.S. Army escalated military operations against the insurgency, the governor issued a December 23, 1885, proclamation telling the territory's citizens "not to take the law into your hands to punish the Apaches." This decree was viewed unfavorably by the population with one newspaper editorializing, "He proclaimed that the citizens of Arizona were lawless ruffians, and in their wrath there was danger that they would hurt a few poor Indians." Soon afterward Zulick's popularity plummeted and he was being referred to as a "trickster of the smallest caliber" and a "failure". Despite his low approval among the populace, the governor maintained the confidence of President Cleveland and was thus safely remained in office. The territory faced financial problems during Zulick's administration. The

13th Arizona Territorial Legislature The 13th Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly was a session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature which began on January 12, 1885, in Prescott, Arizona. The session's accomplishments included allocation of a variety of territorial institution ...

had left Arizona with a territorial debt of US$1,101,625. Motivated in part by the excesses of this legislative session, the

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...

on July 30, 1886, passed a statute limiting territorial debt. Under these restrictions, the

14th Arizona Territorial Legislature The 14th Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly was a session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature which convened in Prescott, Arizona. The session ran from January 10, 1887, till March 10, 1887. The frugal nature of the session, compared to ...

appropriated only US$44,217, down from the US$294,323 appropriated by the previous session. In addition to appropriations, the session granted the governor's request and passed a "Stock and Sanitary Law" requiring the registration of

cattle brand Livestock branding is a technique for marking livestock so as to identify the owner. Originally, livestock branding only referred to hot branding large stock with a branding iron, though the term now includes alternative techniques. Other fo ...

s and the quarantine of livestock imported into the territory to check for infectious disease. The session also saw Zulick declare the curse of hostile Indians had come to an end following the capture of Geronimo's band. Despite these events, the action Zulick was most associated with in the session was the repeal of a "test oath law" designed to limit voting rights of Mormon immigrants to the territory. After arguing that "A man may be an advocate of bigamy or polygamy, or belong to the church that so believes, but until he puts forth his belief in practice he has offended no law", Zulick was accused of making a political deal with

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

(LDS Church) to control the territory. The election of President

Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 23rd president of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia–a grandson of the ninth pr ...

signaled the end of Zulick's time as governor. A new governor however was not appointed until after the start of the

15th Arizona Territorial Legislature The 15th Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly was a session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature which began on January 21, 1889, in Prescott, Arizona, moved to Phoenix on February 7 and did not adjourn till April 11. The session is known a ...

. The first piece of legislation passed during this session moved the territorial capital from Prescott to Phoenix. Zulick's support for statehood was shown in Public Act Number 59, which called for convening a constitutional convention. While this act was passed, the convention was never called as the governor's successor,

Lewis Wolfley Lewis Wolfley (October 8, 1839February 12, 1910) was an American civil engineer who served as the eighth Governor of Arizona Territory. He is commonly regarded as the first territorial governor to be a resident of Arizona at the time of his appoin ...

, felt it was an "unwise measure". The final act of the Zulick administration was appointment for a full slate of territorial officials. Despite the slate being rejected by the legislature in favor of a competing slate nominated by Governor Wolfley, many of those nominated by Zulick refused to leave their appointed posts. This dual set of territorial officials would lead to political trouble for the incoming governor.

Post-governor career

After leaving office as governor, Zulick moved to a farm near

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

, where he raised figs, grapes, and oranges. He also purchased roughly 150 mares and raised horses. In November 1890, he was elected to the

16th Arizona Territorial Legislature The 16th Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly was a session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature which convened in Phoenix, Arizona. The session began on January 19, 1891. Background John N. Irwin had been appointed to replace Lewis Wolfl ...

. With

's return to the presidency in 1893, Zulick was suggested as a possible territorial governor. This suggestion was repeated in 1895 as part of the efforts to remove

L. C. Hughes Louis Cameron "L. C." Hughes (May 15, 1842 – November 24, 1915) was an American newspaper editor, lawyer, union organizer, and politician who served as the eleventh Governor of Arizona Territory. A Gilded Age Democrat, he was an active suppo ...

from office. Upon retirement, Zulick returned to

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. He died in

Asbury Park, New Jersey Asbury Park () is a beachfront city located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 15,188

, on March 2, 1926, and was interred in

Easton Cemetery Easton Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located in Easton, Pennsylvania and the burial site of many notable individuals. ''Note:'' This includes The cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. Easton Cemetery's ...

in Easton.

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Zulick, Conrad Meyer 1839 births 1926 deaths American people of German descent Arizona Democrats Governors of Arizona Territory Members of the Arizona Territorial Legislature Military personnel from Pennsylvania New Jersey Democrats New Jersey state court judges People of New Jersey in the American Civil War Politicians from Easton, Pennsylvania Union Army colonels