John Ezra Rickards (July 23, 1848 – December 26, 1927) was a
Republican politician in the
Montana legislator. He served as the first
Lieutenant Governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
of
Montana, and the second Governor of the state of
Montana.
Biography
Rickards was born to David T. Rickards and his second wife, the former Mary Burris in
Delaware City, Delaware
Delaware City is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The population was 1,695 at the 2010 census. It is a small port town on the eastern terminus of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and is the location of the Forts Ferry Cross ...
and was educated in the public schools of his home state. His mother died when he was a young boy and for a time he Eliza lived and labored on an uncle's farm. In 1857, Rickards became a clerk in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where his father was living with his third wife and their two daughters. The younger Rickards moved to
Pueblo, Colorado in 1870 and was a clerk and a bookkeeper until 1873. He married Lizzie M. Wilson, born 19 April 1848 in Newark, Delaware, on 5 July 1876. The couple moved to California, and had three sons, Homer Crary (1877-1907), Earl Merritt (1878-1884), and Seward Adams (1880-1964). The family was living in Oakland by 1880. Lizzie died in San Francisco at the age of 33 on 18 May 1881.
[Family documents.] Rickards was a salesman in the mercantile business, and also involved in real estate, insurance and the oil industry. After Lizzie's death he moved to Butte, Montana in September 1882 and became a successful businessman in those fields. Rickards married Canadian-born Eliza Anne (Ellis) Boucher on 18 June 1883, in Ogden, Utah.
She brought a daughter, Harriet Ellis Boucher, into the marriage. The Rickards then had five children: Howard Burris (1884-1952), Carlisle (1885-1958), "Baby" (1886), John Ezra (born and died in 1889), and Rachel (1891-1954). The Rickards were active lay leaders in the Methodist-Episcopal Church.
After his stint as governor, Rickards, his wife, and five surviving children aged 9–24 moved back to Butte, Silver Bow County, Montana. By 1908, John, Eliza and Ellis were living in Berkeley, California. In 1914, the three were registered Progressives but 1916, they were once again registered Republicans.
Career
Rickards was elected Alderman of
Butte in 1885. He was a member of the territorial legislature from 1888 to 1889, and was a delegate to the state constitutional convention in 1889.
Rickards, a
Republican, was elected as Montana's first
lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
in 1888 at the same time that
Joseph K. Toole
Joseph Kemp Toole (May 12, 1851 – March 11, 1929) was a Democratic politician from Montana. He served as the first and fourth Governor of Montana.
Biography
Toole was born in Savannah, Missouri and attended public school in St. Joseph, Miss ...
, a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
, was chosen as Montana's first
governor. He served from 1889 to 1893.
Rickards served as the
second Governor of Montana from 1893-97. While continuing to build Montana's infrastructure, he is credited for overseeing the creation of the state legal code and the state board of education, and an anti-gambling bill was sanctioned during his tenure.
After leaving office, Rickards moved to
Berkeley, California and resumed his business career. Given an appointment to the
Census Bureau in
San Francisco, he was in that post for eighteen years.
Death
Rickards died of
angina pectoris and chronic
myocarditis
Myocarditis, also known as inflammatory cardiomyopathy, is an acquired cardiomyopathy due to inflammation of the heart muscle. Symptoms can include shortness of breath, chest pain, decreased ability to exercise, and an irregular heartbeat. The ...
at his Berkeley, Alameda County, California home on 26 December 1927. His death certificate notes that he was retired from a special appointment to the U.S. Agricultural Secretary.
[California State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Standard Certificate of Death] His cremains are interred at Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland, California.
References
External links
Montana Capitol State of Montana profile National Governors Association biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rickards, John E.
1848 births
1927 deaths
People from Delaware City, Delaware
Members of the Montana Territorial Legislature
19th-century American politicians
Lieutenant Governors of Montana
Republican Party governors of Montana
Methodists from Montana