William C. Grimes (November 6, 1857April 8, 1931) was an American politician and businessman who had a major influence on Oklahoma politics. He most notably served as acting

governor of Oklahoma Territory The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor serves as the head of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The governor is the ''ex officio ...

from November 30, 1901, to December 9, 1901. For many years, he served as chair of the Territorial Republican Committee. He also served as the territory's member of the Republican National Committee.

Early life

Grimes was born near

New Lexington, Ohio New Lexington is a village in and the county seat of Perry County, Ohio, United States, southwest of Zanesville and miles southeast of Columbus. The population was 4,731 at the 2010 census. In 2020, New Lexington’s historical Main Street und ...

on November 6, 1857 to George Washington Grimes. At the age of twenty, he moved to Nebraska where he became a newspaperman and later sheriff of Johnson County. He traveled south to participate in the

Land Run of 1889 The Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889 was the first land run into the Unassigned Lands of former Indian Territory, which had earlier been assigned to the Creek and Seminole peoples. The area that was opened to settlement included all or part of Canad ...

into the

Unassigned Lands The Unassigned Lands in Oklahoma were in the center of the lands ceded to the United States by the Creek (Muskogee) and Seminole Indians following the Civil War and on which no other tribes had been settled. By 1883 it was bounded by the Cher ...

. He claimed land near

Kingfisher, Oklahoma Kingfisher is a city in and the county seat of Kingfisher County, Oklahoma,. The population was 4,903 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the former home and namesake of Kingfisher College. According to the ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History ...

and established a farm. He went into real estate, enlarged his farm, built business blocks and residential areas in town, and helped to establish Kingfisher College (active from 1895 to 1922). He also became active in Republican politics.

Political career

Grimes was appointed U.S. marshal for Oklahoma Territory in 1890. During his career as marshal, which lasted until 1893, he established a sound mechanism for the enforcement of federal law. Grimes was turned out of office by the administration of U.S. President

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

. He continued to work in business and farming in Kingfisher. After the Republicans returned to national office, he was reinstalled in federal service. On May 12, 1901, he became territorial secretary under Governor of Oklahoma Territory

William Miller Jenkins William Miller Jenkins (April 25, 1856 - October 19, 1941) was an American lawyer and Republican politician. He was appointed by President William McKinley in 1901 as the fifth governor of Oklahoma Territory. However, he had only served for six ...

. In 1901, William M. Jenkins was not reappointed Governor of Oklahoma Territory due to a major scandal over a state contract. Grimes became Acting Governor of Oklahoma Territory from November 30, 1901, to December 9, 1901. Although Grimes was accused of involvement in the suspect transaction, he continued to serve in the administration of Thompson Benton Ferguson until January 1906.

Later years

After serving in the Ferguson's administration, Grimes moved to Oregon and later to California. He died in

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing t ...

on April 8, 1931.

References

External links

Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture – Grimes, William
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Grimes, William C. 1857 births 1931 deaths People from New Lexington, Ohio Nebraska sheriffs Burials at Inglewood Park Cemetery Governors of Oklahoma Territory Oklahoma Republicans Oregon Republicans California Republicans United States Marshals