Lyman Underwood Humphrey (July 25, 1844 – September 12, 1915) was the

11th 11 (eleven) is the natural number following 10 and preceding 12. It is the first repdigit. In English, it is the smallest positive integer whose name has three syllables. Name "Eleven" derives from the Old English ', which is first attested i ...

governor of Kansas A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...

Early life

Humphrey was born in

New Baltimore, Ohio New Baltimore is a census-designated place (CDP) in Crosby Township, Hamilton County, Ohio. The population was 1,596 in the 2020 census. History The village, about four miles east of New Haven, was laid out in 1819 by mill owner Samuel Pottinge ...

, to Lyman and Elizabeth (Everhart) Humphrey, one of two sons born to the couple. His father was born in Connecticut, but relocated to Deerfield, Ohio, where he purchased a tannery formerly owned by

Jesse Grant Jesse Root Grant (January 23, 1794 – June 29, 1873) was an American farmer, tanner and successful leather merchant who owned tanneries and leather goods shops in several different states throughout his adult life. He is best known as the ...

(father of

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 ...

). Humphrey's father gave up the tannery business after several years and began to practice law. His father died in 1853 and through the influence of his mother, Humphrey received a common school education first in New Baltimore and then high school in

Massillon, Ohio Massillon is a city in Stark County, Ohio, Stark County in the U.S. state of Ohio, approximately west of Canton, Ohio, Canton, south of Akron, and south of Cleveland. The population was 32,146 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Mass ...

. He left school in 1861 to join the 76th Ohio Infantry. He later received his J.D. from the University of Michigan in 1867.

Civil War

The 76th Ohio was part of the Army of the Tennessee. Humphrey rose quickly through the ranks and was promoted to first lieutenant. He participated in twenty-seven battles and skirmishes including Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth, the siege of

Vicksburg Vicksburg most commonly refers to: * Vicksburg, Mississippi, a city in western Mississippi, United States * The Vicksburg Campaign, an American Civil War campaign * The Siege of Vicksburg, an American Civil War battle Vicksburg is also the name of ...

, Resaca, and Atlanta. The regiment participated in the march to the sea and through the Carolinas to the battle of Bentonville. At Ringgold Gap on November 27, 1863, Humphrey was wounded but missed no duty due to the wound. He was mustered out with the regiment at Louisville, Kentucky on July 19, 1865.

Personal life

Humphrey married Amanda Leonard on December 25, 1872, in Beardstown, Illinois. They had four sons, two of whom died in infancy.

Professional career

Following the Civil War, Humphrey attended Mount Union College for one year followed by a year in the law department of the University of Michigan. Short on funds, Humphrey left school, but was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1868. He moved to Shelby County, Missouri where he became a teacher and newspaper editor of the ''Shelby County Herald''. Humphrey was admitted to the Missouri bar in 1870. The following year, Humphrey moved to

Independence, Kansas Independence is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 8,548. It was named in commemoration of the Declaration of Independence. History Independence w ...

, where he practiced law and started the ''South Kansas Tribune'' newspaper. He gave up the newspaper a year later and settled into the practice of law full-time, until December 1872 when he helped found the Commercial Bank of Independence. Humphrey became the bank's president and helped reorganize the bank in 1891 as the Commercial National Bank. He continued with the bank until he was elected governor.

Politics

Humphrey was a devoted Republican and was active in party politics in every state in which he lived. In 1872 he unsuccessfully ran for the Kansas House of Representatives because he opposed the issue of railroad bonds. Four years later he was overwhelmingly elected to represent Montgomery County in the Kansas House of Representatives. Before his term expired, Humphrey was appointed the ninth

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 ...

to fill the vacancy left by Melville J. Salter. During the regular election of 1878, he was elected to the same position by a margin of 40,000 votes. Humphrey completed his term as lieutenant governor and was elected to the Kansas Senate in 1884.

Governor of Kansas

Humphrey ran for governor in 1888 and won the position by the largest plurality to that time in Kansas; he won the majority vote in all but two counties. He defeated the Democratic candidate John Martin (not to be confused with the previous Republican Governor of Kansas John A. Martin). Humphrey was reelected to a second term in 1890.

Later life

Following his term as governor, Humphrey returned to the practice of law. In 1892, he ran unsuccessfully for the United States House of Representatives. Humphrey died at Independence on September 12, 1915, and is buried in Mount Hope Cemetery.

Footnotes

References

*Connelley, William E. ''A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans'' (Chicago: Lewis), 1918.

External links

*
Publications concerning Kansas Governor Humphrey's administration available via the KGI Online Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Humphrey, Lyman U. Republican Party governors of Kansas Lieutenant governors of Kansas Republican Party members of the Kansas House of Representatives Republican Party Kansas state senators Kansas state court judges People from Massillon, Ohio People from Independence, Kansas 1844 births 1915 deaths University of Mount Union alumni American Congregationalists University of Michigan Law School alumni 19th-century American judges 19th-century Kansas politicians