Newton Edmunds (May 31, 1819 – February 13, 1908) was an American politician who served as the second

Governor 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 ...

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 ...

, serving during 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 ...

Biography

Early life and career

Newton Edmunds was born in Hartland, New York on May 31, 1819. In 1832, he moved with his family to

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

. The Edmunds family was involved with politics, associating with the Free Soilers before affiliating with the Republican Party. Newton Edmunds' brother, C. E. Edmunds, was Commissioner of the United States Land Office. Newton Edmunds was appointed as chief clerk in the surveyor-general's office, resulting in Edmunds' arrival in

in 1861. On August 30, 1862, Edmunds was elected as eighth corporal of Company A of the Dakota Militia, following the Santee uprising.

Governor of Dakota Territory

On October 17, 1863, Edmunds was appointed Governor of Dakota Territory by President

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 ...

after receiving strong support from former Governor

William Jayne William A. Jayne (October 8, 1826March 20, 1916) was an American politician and physician. He served as Governor of the Dakota Territory and as the territory's delegate to the United States House of Representatives during the American Civil War. ...

. Edmunds took the oath of office on November 2. He helped establish a public school system as well as a regular revenue system in Dakota Territory. Edmunds also promoted advanced farming techniques and successfully introduced sheep to Dakota Territory in 1865. Edmunds also believed that warring conditions with the Indians in the territory impeded white settlement by creating a negative public perception of Dakota Territory. In October 1865, Edmunds and his commission began to negotiate with Indian tribes located along the Missouri River; and eventually, the commission reached treaty agreements with thirteen tribes. Dr. Walter A. Burleigh opposed Governor Edmunds' peace policy with the Indians, recommending that Edmunds be dismissed from office, claiming that Edmunds had mismanaged Indian Affairs with a scheme to steal money from the Indian Bureau. On August 8, 1866, Edmunds was dismissed by President

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...

and was replaced by

Andrew Jackson Faulk Andrew Jackson Faulk (November 26, 1814 – September 4, 1898) was an American politician. He served as the third Governors of Dakota Territory, Governor of Dakota Territory. Early life Faulk was born at Milford, Pennsylvania, Milford, Pike Coun ...

, father-in-law of Dr. Burleigh.

Later life and death

After leaving office, Edmunds remained involved in both business and politics in Dakota Territory. Edmunds continued to serve in treaty commissions to negotiate with Indian tribes. He played a role in establishing rail service between Yankton and

Sioux City Sioux City () is a city in Woodbury and Plymouth counties in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,797 in the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Iowa. The bulk of the city is in Woodbury County, ...

. In 1873, Edmunds and Leighton Wynn opened the Yankton State Bank. During the 1880s, he joined the statehood movement, attending the first constitutional convention in

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 ...

September 1883. In September 1891, Edmunds and his two sons established the Yankton National Bank. Edmunds remained active in business in Yankton until the time of his death on February 13, 1908. Newton Edmunds is the namesake of Edmunds County, South Dakota. In 1964, he was inducted into the

Hall of Great Westerners The Hall of Great Westerners was established by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 1958. Located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., the Hall was created to celebrate the contributions of more than 200 men and women of the American W ...

of the

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, with more than 28,000 American West, Western and Native Americans in the United States, American Indian art works and Artifact (archaeology), ar ...

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edmunds, Newton 1819 births 1908 deaths 19th-century American politicians Governors of Dakota Territory People from Hartland, New York People from Michigan People of North Dakota in the American Civil War