William Erskine Stevenson (March 18, 1820November 29, 1883) was an American cabinet-maker, farmer, and

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 ...

politician from

Parkersburg, West Virginia Parkersburg is a city in and the county seat of Wood County, West Virginia, Wood County, West Virginia. Located at the confluence of the Ohio River, Ohio and Little Kanawha River, Little Kanawha rivers, it is the state's fourth-largest city and ...

. He was the third governor of West Virginia from 1869 until 1871.http://www.wvculture.org/history/thisdayinwvhistory/1129.html William Erskine Stevenson

Early and family life

William was the son of

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

immigrants, and was born in

Warren, Pennsylvania Warren is a city in Warren County, Pennsylvania, United States, located along the Allegheny River. The population was 9,404 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Warren County. It is home to the headquarters of the Allegheny National Forest ...

. His parents, James and Elizabeth (Erskine) Stevenson, had immigrated to America in 1817. In 1829 James moved his young family to

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

to work as a cabinet-maker. William apprenticed at his father's trade, then went into business for himself. In September 1842 he married Sarah Clotworthy, another second generation American whose parents came from

Belfast, Ireland Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

."West Virginia's First Ladies," West Virginia Division of Culture and History, June 2007.

Career

Largely self-educated, Stevenson began his interest in politics as a labor spokesman. He was associated with the Pittsburgh unit of the National Reform Association, and advocated the ten-hour workday. He became an adherent of the new Republican Party, and shared in their early success by being elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1857. However, later that same year he bought a small farm and moved to Wood County in western

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. Stevenson remained an advocate of labor and also supported continuing the union. As 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 ...

grew closer, a warrant was issued for his arrest in 1859. He was accused of sedition against the state for circulating a book, ''"The Impending Crisis of the South"'' by

Hinton Rowan Helper Hinton Rowan Helper (December 27, 1829 – March 9, 1909) was an American Southern critic of slavery during the 1850s. In 1857, he published a book that he dedicated to the "nonslaveholding whites" of the South. '' The Impending Crisis of the S ...

, that criticized slavery. Hoping to make a case for the freedom of ideas, Stevenson attempted to surrender to the Wood County sheriff, who declined to arrest him. But, from this point forward, he became a militant anti-slavery and pro-union activist. In 1860 Stevenson was a delegate to the Republican national convention in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. At home, he campaigned for

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 ...

. When war finally came, Stevenson became an outspoken advocate to the creation of the state of

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

. He was a delegate for Wood County in the constitutional conventions of 1862 and 1863. When the second of these successfully withdrew from Virginia and statehood was achieved, he was elected to the West Virginia State Senate. Stevenson served in the state senate from 1863 until 1868, and during the last three years became its president. That year he was elected on the Republican ticket as Governor of West Virginia. He served as governor for two years, but lost his bid for reelection in 1870. After the bulk of his political career, he became a partner in the ''Parkersburg State Journal'' and a director of the West Virginia Oil Land Company. Stevenson had two more major political tasks, he served as a

Presidential Elector The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia appo ...

in 1872 as he had in 1864.

Death and legacy

Stevenson died at his home on Juliana Street in

, and is buried in the ''Riverview Cemetery'' there.

References

The portrait of Governor William Stevenson was painted by artist Dorothy Horne Decker, of Vienna, WV. {{DEFAULTSORT:Stevenson, William E. 1820 births 1883 deaths People from Warren, Pennsylvania Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Republican Party West Virginia state senators Republican Party governors of West Virginia Politicians from Parkersburg, West Virginia People of West Virginia in the American Civil War Activists from West Virginia American people of Irish descent Businesspeople from West Virginia 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American businesspeople Presidents of the West Virginia State Senate