Robert Williamson Steele (January 14, 1820 – February 7, 1901) was

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 ...

of the extralegal Territory of Jefferson, which existed in the

western United States The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the Wes ...

from 1859 to 1861, when it was replaced by the

Territory of Colorado The Territory of Colorado was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Colorado. The territory was organized in the w ...

Early life

Steele was born near Chillicothe in Ross County,

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. He farmed until 1846, when he began the study of law at Fairfield, Iowa. In 1848 he married Susan Nevin at Hillsboro, Ohio, and graduated from the Law School of Cincinnati four years later. In 1855, Steele moved to

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...

, settling in Douglas County of the Nebraska Territory. He was elected as a

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to the Nebraska Territorial House of Representatives to represent Douglas County in 1857. The following year, news reached Omaha of gold discovered along the

South Platte River The South Platte River is one of the two principal tributaries of the Platte River. Flowing through the U.S. states of Colorado and Nebraska, it is itself a major river of the American Midwestern United States, Midwest and the American Sout ...

. On March 25, 1859, Steele set out for the gold fields with his wife Susan and four children in an ox-drawn prairie schooner. They arrived at Denver City in May. Steele soon moved to

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, where he prospected for gold. He also served as president of the Consolidated Ditch Company. Steele built a

log cabin A log cabin is a small log house, especially a less finished or less architecturally sophisticated structure. Log cabins have an ancient history in Europe, and in America are often associated with first generation home building by settlers. Eur ...

on the Ute Trail midway between Denver City and Central City; he named the spot Mount Vernon in honor of

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Territorial Governor

On September 29, 1859, Steele was nominated for

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 ...

of the proposed Territory of Jefferson. On October 24, 1859 the formation of a provisional government was approved and Steele defeated J.H. St. Matthew for Governor. Governor Steele opened the first session of the provisional territorial legislature on November 7, 1859, with a proclamation: Steele called for the next session to meet on January 23, 1860. Also in 1860, he formed the Apex and Gregory Wagon Road Company to build a toll road from Denver City to the gold fields at Gregory Gulch. It was later renamed the Denver City, Mt. Vernon, and Gregory Toll Road. When Steeles' home accidentally burned, the family rebuilt at Apex, on the toll road. Governor Steele attempted to deal with the officials of the Kansas Territory, which was still the recognized government over the region. On August 7, 1860, Steele requested the Provisional Government of the Jefferson Territory be merged into the Kansas Territory. However, Kansas officials refused to agree and the stalemate continued.

The end of the Territory of Jefferson

On November 6, 1860,

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won the

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, which precipitated the secession of seven slave states and the formation of the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...

. This ended any chance for federal endorsement of the Territory of Jefferson. Furthermore, as a staunch pro-Union

and vocal opponent of both Lincoln and the

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, R.W. Steele also became a pariah. On January 26, 1861, the United States Congress passed a bill organizing the

. It was signed into law by

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

James Buchanan James Buchanan Jr. ( ; April 23, 1791June 1, 1868) was an American lawyer, diplomat and politician who served as the 15th president of the United States from 1857 to 1861. He previously served as secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and repr ...

two days later on January 28, 1861. On June 6, 1861, Governor Steele issued a proclamation disbanding the Territory of Jefferson and urging all residents to abide by the laws governing the United States.

Later years

In 1862, Steele moved to Gilpin County, Colorado; in 1863 he moved again, first to

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and then to Georgetown. In 1865, he reluctantly returned to

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

. Just two years later, he returned to Georgetown. The one-time governor spent his last years in Colorado Springs, where he died on February 7, 1901, almost a month after his 81st birthday. He is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs.

Legacy

Steele has been called the ''Father of Colorado'' for his tireless efforts to develop the then frontier region. His 1867 home survives and is on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

References

External links

Territorial Town
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Health Care Heritage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Steele, Robert Williamson 1820 births 1901 deaths Colorado Mining Boom Colorado Democrats People from Jefferson County, Colorado Governors of Jefferson Territory Members of the Nebraska Territorial Legislature 19th-century American politicians Nebraska Democrats Politicians from Chillicothe, Ohio Politicians from Omaha, Nebraska