Elias Sleeper Stover (November 22, 1836 – February 3, 1927) was an American businessman, politician, and university president. Stover was the son of a sea captain, and initially followed his father's trade and went to sea. Stover moved to Kansas in 1858. He was an artillery officer in the

2nd Regiment Kansas Volunteer Cavalry The 2nd Kansas Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 2nd Kansas Cavalry was organized at Kansas City, Kansas beginning on November 8, 1861, but its designation was chang ...

during the Civil War and saw much action including the

Battle of Cane Hill The Battle of Cane Hill (also known as the Engagement at Cane Hill) was fought during the American Civil War on November 28, 1862, in northwestern Arkansas, near the town of Cane Hill. Union troops under Brig. Gen. James G. Blunt had entered ...

, the

Battle of Prairie Grove The Battle of Prairie Grove was a battle of the American Civil War fought on December 7, 1862. While tactically indecisive, the battle secured the Union control of northwestern Arkansas. A division of Union troops in the Army of the Front ...

, and the Battle of Dardanelle. He was promoted to captain in 1863. He served in the Kansas legislature for three sessions, in 1867 in the House and in 1871 and 1872 in the Senate. A Republican, he was elected the seventh Lieutenant Governor in 1873 serving under Governor Thomas A. Osborn. Stover moved to New Mexico in 1876 and continued his political career there, serving as County Commissioner of

Bernalillo County Bernalillo County () is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Mexico.Bernalillo ...

1881-3 and a member of a constitutional convention in 1889. He served in the Territorial legislature in 1891. From 1891 to 1897 he served as the first president of the

University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...

. In Kansas, Stover was one of the founders of the First National Bank of Council Grove. In 1867 he was appointed

Indian agent In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with American Indian tribes on behalf of the government. Background The federal regulation of Indian affairs in the United States first included development of t ...

to the

Kaw Kaw or KAW may refer to: Mythology * Kaw (bull), a legendary bull in Meitei mythology * Johnny Kaw, mythical settler of Kansas, US * Kaw (character), in ''The Chronicles of Prydain'' People * Kaw people, a Native American tribe Places * Kaw, Fr ...

tribe. Stover was one of the principals of Stover, Crary, and Co., a large wholesale grocer in Albuquerque, and one of the founders of the First National Bank of Albuquerque. When the

Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison and Topeka, Kansas, and ...

was approaching the area in 1879–1880, the railroad was seeking cheap land for shops and yards. Stover and fellow Albuquerque merchants Franz Huning and William Hazeldine formed the New Mexico Town Company as a subsidiary of the railroad and quietly bought up 3.1 square miles of land about two miles from the existing town center. Stover was also the first president of the New Mexico Territorial Fair in 1881. Stover Avenue in Albuquerque is named after Elias S. Stover. Stover married Susan Gage (1844–1903) in 1874; they had one child, Roderick Stover (1880–1919). Elias Stover married Margaret Zearing (1852–1934) in 1920.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stover, Elias Sleeper County commissioners in New Mexico Republican Party Kansas state senators Lieutenant Governors of Kansas Republican Party members of the Kansas House of Representatives Members of the New Mexico Territorial Legislature New Mexico Republicans People from Rockland, Maine People of Kansas in the American Civil War Union Army officers University of New Mexico presidents 1836 births 1927 deaths People from St. George, Maine