John Philo Hoyt (October 6, 1841 – August 27, 1926) was an American

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

and

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 ...

. He served as the fourth 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 ...

and was nominated to become Governor of

Idaho Territory The Territory of Idaho was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 3, 1863, until July 3, 1890, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as Idaho. History 1860s The territory w ...

but declined the position. In his later life he served as President of

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

's constitutional convention and as a justice of the

Washington Supreme Court The Washington Supreme Court is the highest court in the judiciary of the U.S. state of Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the ...

Background

Hoyt was born on October 6, 1841, to David and Susan (Fancher) Hoyt in Austinburg Township,

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. He was educated in public schools and at the Grand River Institute. Upon completing his education, Hoyt worked as a teacher until the outbreak of 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 ...

. On May 27, 1862, Hoyt enlisted as a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

in the 87th Ohio Infantry. After one month of service he was made a commissary

sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

and then he and his regiment were captured by

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

forces at the

Battle of Harpers Ferry {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Battle of Harpers Ferry , partof = the American Civil War , image = NWDNS-165-SB-26 Harpers Ferry Virginia.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = Harpers ...

. Hoyt was mustered out on October 3, 1862 and he reenlisted as a commissary sergeant in the 2nd Ohio Heavy Artillery. Later commissioned as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the 2nd Ohio Light Artillery and on January 15, 1866, was mustered out as the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. After the war he was a member of the

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...

. Hoyt married Lettie J. Lewis of

Adams, New York Adams is a town in Jefferson County, New York, United States. Named after President John Adams, the town had a population of 5,143 at the 2010 census. The town contains a village also named Adams. The village and town are south of Watertown. Hi ...

on December 27, 1869. The couple had one daughter, June, and two sons, Harold and Arthur.

Early political career

Upon his return to civilian life, Hoyt began studying law at a law firm in

Jefferson, Ohio Jefferson is a village in and the county seat of Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States. The population was 3,226 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Ashtabula micropolitan area, northeast of Cleveland. Modern-day Jefferson sports the worl ...

, before enrolling at the Ohio State & Union Law School in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

. He graduated in July 1867 and moved to

Vassar, Michigan Vassar is a city in Tuscola County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Founded March 1, 1849. The population was 2,727 at the 2020 census and 2,697 in 2010 (an increase of about 1.1%). The city is located on the western edge of Vassar Township but i ...

. In 1868 and 1870, Hoyt was elected a prosecuting attorney for

Tuscola County, Michigan Tuscola County is a county in the Thumb region of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 53,323. The county seat is Caro. The county was created by Michigan Law on April 1, 1840, from land in Sanilac County and ...

. This was followed by election to the

Michigan House of Representatives The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2010 ...

in 1872 and 1874 where he served as

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

in 1875.

Arizona Territory

President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

nominated Hoyt to be Secretary of Arizona Territory on May 22, 1876. The new Secretary arrived in the territorial capital of

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 ...

on July 8, 1876, and was sworn in the same day. While in his new position he continued to practice law, being admitted to the Arizona bar on November 13, 1876, and admitted to practice law in the Territorial Supreme Court on January 3, 1877. His primary accomplishment as Secretary was compiling a new legal code for the 9th Arizona Territorial Legislature This legal code, the "Hoyt Code", expanded the earlier "Howell Code" while retaining the same structure of the earlier work. Hoyt was commissioned to replace the retiring Anson P.K. Safford as governor on April 5, 1877. Due to several lawsuits at the time naming Hoyt in his official capacity as Secretary, he asked to defer his assumption of the governor's office until a replacement could take his former position and represent Arizona Territory. The incoming Secretary,

John J. Gosper John Jay Gosper (April 8, 1842 – May 14, 1913) was an American politician and businessman who served as Secretary of State of Nebraska and Secretary of Arizona Territory. Much of his service in Arizona was spent as Acting Governor due to Gover ...

, arrived on May 30, 1877, and Hoyt was sworn in as governor the same day. Hoyt suspended his practice of law due to a decision by

Secretary of the Interior Secretary of the Interior may refer to: * Secretary of the Interior (Mexico) * Interior Secretary of Pakistan * Secretary of the Interior and Local Government (Philippines) * United States Secretary of the Interior See also

*Interior ministry ...

Carl Schurz Carl Schurz (; March 2, 1829 – May 14, 1906) was a German revolutionary and an American statesman, journalist, and reformer. He immigrated to the United States after the German revolutions of 1848–1849 and became a prominent member of the new ...

that he should not practice while serving as governor. Upon his ascension to the governorship, Hoyt had two major rivalries to deal with. He was able to help heal a bitter relationship between the territory's civilian and military leadership which had developed under Governor Safford, with General

Irvin McDowell Irvin McDowell (October 15, 1818 – May 4, 1885) was a career American army officer. He is best known for his defeat in the First Battle of Bull Run, the first large-scale battle of the American Civil War. In 1862, he was given command o ...

commending Hoyt on his attitude. He had less success addressing the rivalry between the northern and southern portions of the territory, but was seen as a neutral party unaffiliated with either part of the territory. Hoyt's term saw the opening of the Bisbee and Tombstone mining districts, construction of a dependable civilian

telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...

system, and the connection of Yuma to

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

by the eastward building

Southern Pacific Railroad The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...

. Despite the citizens of Arizona being generally happy with his performance as governor, Hoyt learned on June 12, 1878, that he had been replaced by

John C. Frémont John Charles Frémont or Fremont (January 21, 1813July 13, 1890) was an American explorer, military officer, and politician. He was a U.S. Senator from California and was the first Republican nominee for president of the United States in 1856 ...

. The outgoing governor initially wished to leave the territory but was convinced to remain on the job until the arrival of his replacement.

Idaho Territory

Following the appointment of Frémont as Governor of Arizona, Hoyt was offered the governorship of

. He declined the nomination because he felt that Governor

Mason Brayman Mason Brayman (May 23, 1813 – February 27, 1895) was an American attorney, newspaperman, and military officer. During his service to the Union Army during the American Civil War, he rose to the rank of Major general with the 29th IL. Volu ...

was being improperly replaced. Hoyt was also worried that the manner of his appointment and Senate confirmation would prejudice the citizens of Idaho Territory against him to the point that he could not effectively serve. Hoyt instead wrote to Interior Secretary Shurz requesting a different assignment. When a comparable position did not present itself, Hoyt temporarily left federal service.

Washington

After leaving office in Arizona, Hoyt traveled to

Washington, D. C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...

, and requested an appointment as a territorial chief justice. In January 1879, he was appointed

Associate Justice Associate justice or associate judge (or simply associate) is a judicial panel member who is not the chief justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the Supreme Court of the United States and some state ...

of the Supreme Court of

Washington Territory The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington. It was created from the ...

, a position Hoyt held until 1887. In May 1887, he became manager of the territory's largest bank and in 1889 he was President of

's constitutional convention. Following Washington's statehood, Hoyt was elected a justice of the

from 1889 until 1897. From 1898 till 1902, he was a

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

for the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...

and a law professor at the school from 1902 till 1907. Hoyt died in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

, on August 27, 1926, and his ashes were interred in his family plot at

Evergreen Washelli Memorial Park Evergreen Washelli Memorial Park originated in 1885. It is located on both sides of Aurora Avenue in Seattle, Washington, and occupies roughly 144 acres (58 ha). It is the largest cemetery in Seattle. History At the time of its inception, the a ...

References

Bibliography

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hoyt, John Philo 1841 births 1926 deaths Governors of Arizona Territory Speakers of the Michigan House of Representatives Justices of the Washington Supreme Court Union Army officers Burials in Washington (state) People from Ashtabula County, Ohio Regents of the University of Washington Republican Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives Arizona Republicans Washington (state) Republicans People from Vassar, Michigan Grand River Academy alumni 19th-century American judges 19th-century American politicians Military personnel from Michigan