Nehemiah George Ordway (November 10, 1828July 3, 1907) was an American politician who was a

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the nor ...

state senator and the seventh

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Dakota Territory The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of N ...

. Ordway was regarded as one of Dakota Territory's most controversial governors. Nehemiah Ordway was born in Warner,

. After receiving his education, Ordway entered the mercantile and banking businesses. During

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 ...

's bid for the Presidency in 1860, Ordway served as chairman in New Hampshire for the new Republican party. In 1862, he was appointed General Agent of the Post Office Department for the New England states. From 1863 until 1875, Ordway served as

Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives The Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives is an officer of the House with law enforcement, protocol, and administrative responsibilities. The Sergeant at Arms is elected at the beginning of each Congress by the membershi ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

He organized Center Market in Washington, DC and controlled it for the remainder of his life. From 1875 until 1880, Ordway served as state senator in New Hampshire. The New Hampshire congressional delegation nominated Nehemiah Ordway for the office of Governor of Dakota Territory. In May 1880, he was appointed by President

Rutherford B. Hayes Rutherford Birchard Hayes (; October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 19th president of the United States from 1877 to 1881, after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and as governo ...

. Ordway was confirmed on June 1, 1880; he arrived in Yankton with his wife and son on June 23, 1880. During his time as governor, Ordway made efforts to move the territorial capitol to Bismarck. This action angered political leaders in Yankton and

Sioux Falls Sioux Falls () is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 130th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County and also extends into Lincoln County to the south, which continues up t ...

. Citizens of Yankton viewed Ordway as corrupt. On February 2, 1881, nine consecutive days of snowfall started in Dakota Territory, resulting in food and fuel shortages. Governor Ordway sought Army and Indian supplies until private donations could be obtained. Eventually, he obtained $7000 in cash contributions as well as six tons of relief supplies. According to records, Governor Ordway engaged in a number of questionable dealings. In May 1881,

Richard F. Pettigrew Richard Franklin Pettigrew (July 23, 1848October 5, 1926) was an American lawyer, surveyor, and land developer. He represented the Dakota Territory in the U.S. Congress and, after the Dakotas were admitted as States, he was the first U.S. Senato ...

filed charges against Governor Ordway, insisting on his removal from office. On June 2, 1883, Ordway successfully moved the capital of Dakota Territory from Yankton to Bismarck with the assistance of Alexander McKenzie, an agent for the Northern Pacific Railway. In the fall of 1883, representatives of southern counties made further efforts to remove Ordway from office. He was indicted for corruption and President

Chester A. Arthur Chester Alan Arthur (October 5, 1829 – November 18, 1886) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 21st president of the United States from 1881 to 1885. He previously served as the 20th vice president under President James ...

replaced him with Gilbert A. Pierce in 1884. After leaving office, Ordway remained in Bismarck for a number of years because of investments. He lobbied for the Northern Pacific Railway and fought against separate statehood for the southern counties. During the 1890s, Ordway returned to New Hampshire, where he managed two large farms and spent the rest of his life. Nehemiah G. Ordway is the namesake of the community of Ordway, South Dakota.

References

Sources

Nehemiah Ordway's biography
at th
Historical Society of North Dakota website
at the outh Dakota Historical Society website* , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Ordway, Nehemiah 1828 births 1909 deaths 19th-century American politicians Governors of Dakota Territory New Hampshire state senators People from Warner, New Hampshire Sergeants at Arms of the United States House of Representatives