Samuel Goodlove Cosgrove (April 10, 1847March 28, 1909) was an American politician who served as the sixth governor of Washington from January to March 1909. He was a

U.S. 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 ...

veteran and a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Biography

Cosgrove was born in

Tuscarawas County, Ohio Tuscarawas County ( ) is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 93,263. Its county seat is New Philadelphia. Its name is a Delaware Indian word variously translated as "ol ...

to a scholarly family, and one of twelve siblings, most of whom became teachers. He enlisted in the 14th Ohio Volunteer Infantry of the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

at the age of sixteen, and served in the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. He was honorably discharged in July 1865. After the war, Cosgrove taught school at

Woodsfield Woodsfield is a village and the county seat of Monroe County, Ohio, United States located 30 miles northeast of Marietta. The population was 2,384 at the 2010 census. History Woodsfield was founded in 1813 as seat of the newly formed Monroe Cou ...

and

Brooklyn, Ohio Brooklyn is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, and a suburb of Cleveland. The population was 11,359 at the 2020 census. Geography Brooklyn is located at (41.435357, -81.744457). According to the United States Census Bureau, the ci ...

, and attended

Ohio Wesleyan University Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio. It was founded in 1842 by methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five – a consortium ...

earning M. A. and LL.B. degrees in 1873. He read law under Hollister and Okey at Woodsfield and was admitted to the bar in 1875. He married Zephorena Edgerton 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. ...

, on June 26, 1878. The couple had three children, Howard, Elliot, and Myrn.

Career

Cosgrove left Ohio in 1880, spent a year mining in

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

, a year in

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 ...

, and settled in

Pomeroy, Washington Pomeroy is a city in Garfield County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,425 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of and only incorporated city in Garfield County. Geography Pomeroy is located at (46.473334, -117.598119). A ...

in 1882. He practiced law and managed 1400 acres of farm land in Washington and Idaho. He was president of the Pomeroy School Board for eight years, and the city's mayor for five terms. A candidate for Republican nomination at several state conventions, Cosgrove won the nomination in the first

primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Works * ...

after adoption of a direct primary law, when no candidate won the majority and second-choice votes were added. After winning the

general election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

, he suffered a heart attack, was too weak to finish his inaugural address, and was granted a leave of absence, earning him the title "Washington's One-Day Governor".

Death

Cosgrove died March 28, 1909, in

Paso Robles, California Paso Robles ( ), officially El Paso de Robles (Spanish for "The Pass of Oaks"), is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Salinas River approximately north of San Luis Obispo, the city is known for its hot ...

where he had gone to recuperate. He is interred at Masonic Memorial Park,

Tumwater, Washington Tumwater is a town in Thurston County, Washington, United States. The population was 25,350 at the 2020 census. It is situated near where the Deschutes River enters Budd Inlet, the southernmost point of Puget Sound; it also borders the state ca ...

References

External links

HistoryLink
''William Howard Taft and Republicans win general elections in Washington on November 3, 1908.''
Washington Secretary of State
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cosgrove, Samuel G. 1847 births 1909 deaths People from Tuscarawas County, Ohio People from Pomeroy, Washington People of Ohio in the American Civil War Ohio Wesleyan University alumni Mayors of places in Washington (state) Republican Party governors of Washington (state)

Biography

Career

Death

References

Further reading

External links