Eli C. D. Shortridge (March 29, 1830 – February 4, 1908) was an American politician who was the third Governor of

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, So ...

from 1893 to 1895. Shortridge was the first governor to live in the executive mansion.

Biography

Born Eli Charles Daniel Shortridge, he was the eighth of nine children born to Levi and Elizabeth Love Shortridge. Shortridge was born in Cabell County (in modern-day

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the B ...

; the county was still a part of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

at the time of his birth), and grew up in Monroe County, Missouri. He completed his education at an academy located near

Paris, Missouri Paris is a city and county seat of Monroe County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,161 at the 2020 census. History Paris was platted in 1831, and named after Paris, Kentucky, the native home of one of the first settlers, Mrs. James ...

. He moved to

Larimore, North Dakota Larimore is a city in Grand Forks County, North Dakota, United States. It is located three miles south of the junction of U.S. Route 2 and North Dakota Highway 18. Larimore is part of the "Grand Forks, ND- MN Metropolitan Statistical Area" or "G ...

with his family, second wife Anna Burton and twin daughters, in 1882.

Career

Shortridge ran for governor ten years later in 1893 on a

fusion ticket Electoral fusion is an arrangement where two or more political parties on a ballot list the same candidate, pooling the votes for that candidate. It is distinct from the process of electoral alliances in that the political parties remain separa ...

composed of

Populists Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term developed ...

, Democrats, and the

Farmers' Alliance The Farmers' Alliance was an organized agrarian economic movement among American farmers that developed and flourished ca. 1875. The movement included several parallel but independent political organizations — the National Farmers' Alliance and ...

, who merged into a single Democratic-Independent Party. The new party was very successful, but very short-lived; the party dissolved soon after Shortridge's retirement. During his administration, Shortridge approved the issuance of $50,000 in bonds to construct the south wing of the state capitol and approved the purchase of an executive mansion for the governor's residence. He also supported an appropriation for a state elevator at

Duluth, Minnesota , settlement_type = City , nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...

. An out-of-state terminal elevator was not constructed largely due to a provision requiring North Dakota sovereignty over any elevator site. The bill passed, but the provision that

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

would have to cede sovereignty over the site created an unacceptable situation for both states. Governor Shortridge retired from office after one term. He was appointed clerk of the

General Land Office The General Land Office (GLO) was an independent agency of the United States government responsible for public domain lands in the United States. It was created in 1812 to take over functions previously conducted by the United States Department o ...

Devils Lake, North Dakota Devils Lake is a city in Ramsey County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Ramsey County. The population was 7,192 at the 2020 census. It is named after the nearby body of water called Devils Lake. The first house in Devils ...

. After the death of Anna, Shortridge married a third time to Dorcas Virginia Brady and they had five children.

Death

Shortridge died on February 4, 1908, and is interred at Devil's Lake Cemetery, Devil's Lake, North Dakota.

References

External links

Biography for Eli C. D. Shortridge
from th
State Historical Society of North Dakota website
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shortridge, Eli C. D. Democratic Party governors of North Dakota 1830 births 1908 deaths People from Cabell County, West Virginia People from Monroe County, Missouri People from Grand Forks County, North Dakota 19th-century American politicians