William Taylor Thornton (New Mexico Territory Governor)

William Taylor Thornton (February 9, 1843March 16, 1916) was an American politician who served as the 15th Governor of

New Mexico Territory The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of ''Santa Fe de Nuevo México ...

from 1893 to 1897.

Early life

Thornton was born in

Calhoun, Missouri Calhoun is a city in Henry County, Missouri, Henry County, Missouri, United States. The population was 469 at the 2010 census. History Calhoun was platted in 1837. The town was named after John C. Calhoun, seventh Vice President of the United Sta ...

on February 9, 1843. He was educated in

Sedalia, Missouri Sedalia is a city located approximately south of the Missouri River and, as the county seat of Pettis County, Missouri, United States, it is the principal city of the Sedalia Micropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had ...

and received a law degree from the

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...

in 1861.

Military service

He joined the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

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 ...

, and served in the personal guard of General

Sterling Price Major-General Sterling "Old Pap" Price (September 14, 1809 – September 29, 1867) was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded infantry in the Western and Trans-Mississippi theaters of the American Civil War. Prior to ...

, and later in a company commanded by his brother Paul. Thornton was taken prisoner in February 1862 and was held in Illinois until his release the following October. he then returned to his company and continued to serve until the end of the war.

Career

After the war Thornton passed the bar and began to practice law in

Clinton, Missouri Clinton is a city in Henry County, Missouri, United States. The population was 8,792 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Henry County. History Clinton was laid out in 1836. The city was named for New York Governor DeWitt Clinton ...

, and served two terms on the town council. He served in the

Missouri House of Representatives The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 37,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections ...

in 1876. Thornton relocated to New Mexico Territory in 1877, seeking a climate that would improve his health. He began to practice law in

Santa Fe, New Mexico Santa Fe ( ; , Spanish for 'Holy Faith'; tew, Oghá P'o'oge, Tewa for 'white shell water place'; tiw, Hulp'ó'ona, label=Tiwa language, Northern Tiwa; nv, Yootó, Navajo for 'bead + water place') is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. ...

, and eventually formed a partnership with Thomas B. Catron. Though Thornton and Catron were both Confederate veterans from Missouri, Catron was a Republican, while Thornton was a Democrat. Thornton was also involved in several businesses, including mining, cattle ranching, real estate development, and land speculation. Thornton was a member of New Mexico Legislative Council in 1880. In 1891 he was elected the first mayor of Santa Fe, and he served one two-year term. In 1893 Thornton was appointed Governor, succeeding

L. Bradford Prince LeBaron Bradford Prince (July 3, 1840December 8, 1922) was an American lawyer and politician who served as chief justice of the New Mexico Territorial Supreme Court from 1878 to 1882, and as the 14th Governor of New Mexico Territory from 1889 to ...

. He served until 1897, and was succeeded by Miguel Antonio Otero. After leaving the governorship Thornton returned to his legal and business interests. He died in Santa Fe on March 16, 1916. He was buried at Fairview cemetery in Santa Fe.

References

External links

* 1843 births 1916 deaths Governors of New Mexico Territory Mayors of Santa Fe, New Mexico Members of the New Mexico Territorial Legislature Democratic Party members of the Missouri House of Representatives People from Henry County, Missouri 19th-century American politicians People from Clinton, Missouri New Mexico Democrats {{NewMexico-mayor-stub