Alva Adams (May 14, 1850 – November 1, 1922) was an American politician and three-time

governor of Colorado The governor of Colorado is the head of government of the U.S. state of Colorado. The governor (United States), governor is the head of the Executive (government), executive branch of Government of Colorado, Colorado's state government and is cha ...

Early life

Adams was born in

Adamsville, Wisconsin Adamsville is a ghost town in the town of Ridgeway, Iowa County, Wisconsin, United States. Adamsville was founded by the politician John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, ...

on May 14, 1850. He was son of

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before Presidency of John Adams, his presidency, he was a leader of ...

and Eliza Blanchard. His father, was a member of the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...

and the

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after those o ...

. Adams was educated in the public schools of

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

, and in 1871 went to

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

Career

Adams was a member of the first

Colorado legislature The Colorado General Assembly is the state legislature of the State of Colorado. It is a bicameral legislature consisting of the Senate and House of Representatives that was created by the 1876 state constitution. Its statutes are codified i ...

in 1876. He served four years and two months as the fifth, tenth and 14th

Governor of Colorado The governor of Colorado is the head of government of the U.S. state of Colorado. The governor (United States), governor is the head of the Executive (government), executive branch of Government of Colorado, Colorado's state government and is cha ...

from 1887 to 1889, 1897 to 1899, and briefly in 1905. His last tenure as Governor lasted a little over two months. He and previous Governor James Peabody each declared the other an illegitimate Governor, even though both were involved in illegal electoral practices. Eventually the Republican legislature removed Adams, installed Peabody, who immediately abdicated for his Lt. Governor

Jesse Fuller McDonald Jesse Fuller McDonald (June 30, 1858 – February 25, 1942) was an American public official, civil engineer and surveyor, who served as the 16th governor of Colorado from 1905 to 1907. Biography McDonald was born in Ashtabula, Ohio, on June 3 ...

, and the issue ended. On November 1, 1922, Adams died in

Battle Creek, Michigan Battle Creek is a city in northwestern Calhoun County, Michigan, United States, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo River, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek River, Battle Creek rivers. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a tota ...

at the age of 72.

Adams County, Colorado Adams County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 519,572. The county seat is Brighton, and the largest city is Thornton. The county is named for Alva Adams, an early Go ...

, is named for Alva Adams, and it is believed the city of

Alva, Oklahoma Alva is a city in and the county seat of Woods County, Oklahoma, Woods County, Oklahoma, United States, along the Salt Fork Arkansas River. The population was 5,028 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census, up from 4,945 at the U ...

is as well. Alva Adams' younger brother, William Herbert "Billy" Adams also served as

from 1927 to 1933. Alva Adams' son,

Alva Blanchard Adams Alva Blanchard Adams Sr. (October 29, 1875December 1, 1941) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician from Pueblo, Colorado. He served nine years as a United States senator from Colorado, serving by appointment from 1923 to 1924, ...

, served as United States Senator from Colorado from 1923 to 1925 and from 1933 to 1941.

References

External links

The Governor Alva Adams Collection at the Colorado State Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Alva Democratic Party governors of Colorado Politicians from Iowa County, Wisconsin 1850 births 1922 deaths 19th-century Colorado politicians