Nehemiah George Ordway (November 10, 1828July 3, 1907) was an American politician who was a

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

state senator and the seventh

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Dakota Territory The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of No ...

. Ordway was regarded as one of Dakota Territory's most controversial governors. Nehemiah Ordway was born in

Warner Warner can refer to: People * Warner (writer) * Warner (given name) * Warner (surname) Fictional characters * Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner, stars of the animated television series ''Animaniacs'' * Aaron Warner, a character in ''Shatter Me s ...

. After receiving his education, Ordway entered the mercantile and banking businesses. During

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

's bid for the Presidency in 1860, Ordway served as chairman in New Hampshire for the new Republican party. In 1862, he was appointed General Agent of the Post Office Department for the New England states. From 1863 until 1875, Ordway served as Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives in

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He organized Center Market in Washington, DC and controlled it for the remainder of his life. From 1875 until 1880, Ordway served as state senator in New Hampshire. The New Hampshire congressional delegation nominated Nehemiah Ordway for the office of Governor of Dakota Territory. In May 1880, he was appointed by President Rutherford B. Hayes. Ordway was confirmed on June 1, 1880; he arrived in Yankton with his wife and son on June 23, 1880. During his time as governor, Ordway made efforts to move the territorial capitol to Bismarck. This action angered political leaders in Yankton and

Sioux Falls Sioux Falls () is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 130th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County and also extends into Lincoln County to the south, which continues up t ...

. Citizens of Yankton viewed Ordway as corrupt. On February 2, 1881, nine consecutive days of snowfall started in Dakota Territory, resulting in food and fuel shortages. Governor Ordway sought Army and Indian supplies until private donations could be obtained. Eventually, he obtained $7000 in cash contributions as well as six tons of relief supplies. According to records, Governor Ordway engaged in a number of questionable dealings. In May 1881,

Richard F. Pettigrew Richard Franklin Pettigrew (July 23, 1848October 5, 1926) was an American lawyer, Surveyor (surveying), surveyor, and land developer. He represented the Dakota Territory in the United States House of Representatives, U.S. Congress and, after the D ...

filed charges against Governor Ordway, insisting on his removal from office. On June 2, 1883, Ordway successfully moved the capital of Dakota Territory from Yankton to Bismarck with the assistance of Alexander McKenzie, an agent for the

Northern Pacific Railway The Northern Pacific Railway was a transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest. It was approved by Congress in 1864 and given nearly of land grants, whic ...

. In the fall of 1883, representatives of southern counties made further efforts to remove Ordway from office. He was indicted for corruption and President

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replaced him with

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in 1884. After leaving office, Ordway remained in Bismarck for a number of years because of investments. He lobbied for the Northern Pacific Railway and fought against separate statehood for the southern counties. During the 1890s, Ordway returned to New Hampshire, where he managed two large farms and spent the rest of his life. Nehemiah G. Ordway is the namesake of the community of

Ordway, South Dakota Ordway is an unincorporated community in Brown County, in the U.S. state of South Dakota. History Ordway was platted in 1880. The community was named for Nehemiah G. Ordway Nehemiah George Ordway (November 10, 1828July 3, 1907) was an American p ...

References

Sources

Nehemiah Ordway's biography
at th
Historical Society of North Dakota website
at the outh Dakota Historical Society website* , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Ordway, Nehemiah 1828 births 1909 deaths 19th-century American politicians Governors of Dakota Territory New Hampshire state senators People from Warner, New Hampshire Sergeants at Arms of the United States House of Representatives