Algernon Sidney Paddock (November 9, 1830October 17, 1897) was an American politician who was a Republican secretary of

Nebraska Territory The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Nebraska. The Nebrask ...

and U.S. Senator from

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

after statehood.

Biography

Paddock was born in

Glens Falls, New York Glens Falls is a City (New York), city in Warren County, New York, Warren County, New York, United States and is the central city of the Glens Falls, New York metropolitan area, Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,83 ...

. His father, Ira Paddock, was a prominent lawyer. Algernon lived in upstate New York until the age of 27, attending Glens Falls Academy and

Union College Union College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the s ...

, teaching school and studying law. He visited a brother in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, for three months after college, but then returned to New York. The anti-polygamist activist Cornelia Paddock was the wife of Paddock's cousin, Alonzo Paddock.

Settling in Omaha

In 1857, Paddock left New York and settled in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

, where he started a family and a farm practice. He became a member of the

United States Republican Party The Republican Party, also known as the Grand Old Party (GOP), is a Right-wing politics, right-wing political parties in the United States, political party in the United States. One of the Two-party system, two major parties, it emerged as t ...

in which he would be active for the rest of his life. He successfully ran for a seat in the

house of representatives in 1859. He helped edit the newspaper ''Nebraska Republican'' from 1858 to 1859. He attended a territorial convention in 1859 and the Republican Convention as a delegate in 1860. In 1860, he campaigned heavily for

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

in Nebraska and New York. In 1861, Paddock was appointed by Lincoln as secretary of the Nebraska Territory. He held that position until Nebraska became a state in 1867; he was also acting governor in 1861. When Nebraska became a state, he ran for seats in both the United States House and United States Senate, but lost. President

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. The 16th vice president, he assumed the presidency following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a South ...

offered him the position of governor of

Wyoming Territory The Territory of Wyoming was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 25, 1868, until July 10, 1890, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Wyoming. Cheyenne was the territorial capital. The ...

, but Paddock declined that position.

Marriage

In 1869, Paddock married Emma Mack, and they had several children. In 1872, he moved from Omaha to

Beatrice, Nebraska Beatrice () is a city in and the county seat of Gage County, Nebraska, Gage County, Nebraska, United States. Its population was 12,261 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Nebraska, 15th most populous cit ...

, where he started a farm and a factory. In 1875, he was elected to the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

. As a senator, he was chairman of the Agriculture Committee from 1877 to 1878. He was defeated for re-election in 1880.

Utah Territory Commission

In 1882, Paddock became part of a commission which set up elections in

Utah Territory The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah, the 45th st ...

. He used this position to try to discourage the practice of

polygamy Polygamy (from Late Greek , "state of marriage to many spouses") is the practice of marriage, marrying multiple spouses. When a man is married to more than one wife at the same time, it is called polygyny. When a woman is married to more tha ...

in Utah. He was a member of the commission until 1886, when he was again elected to the United States Senate from Nebraska. He served another 6-year term, from 1887 to 1893, during which he was chairman of two committees. In 1891, he introduced an unsuccessful bill to regulate certain food production for safety reasons. After his death, similar and more extensive laws on this issue were passed.

Later life

After retiring from the Senate in 1893, Paddock returned to Beatrice, where he engaged in brokerage business until his death. After he died, he was interred at Prospect Hill Cemetery in

North Omaha North Omaha is a community area in Omaha, Nebraska, in the United States. It is bordered by Cuming and Dodge Streets on the south, Interstate 680 on the north, North 72nd Street on the west and the Missouri River and Carter Lake, Iowa on the ...

. Algernon is the namesake of Paddock, Holt County, Nebraska.
1925 edition
is available for download a
University of Nebraska—Lincoln Digital Commons

References

External links

* at

Nebraska State Historical Society Nebraska State Historical Society, formerly History Nebraska, is a Nebraska state agency, founded in 1878 to "encourage historical research and inquiry, spread historical information ... and to embrace alike aboriginal and modern history." It w ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paddock, Algernon S. 1830 births 1897 deaths Union College (New York) alumni Governors of Nebraska Territory Burials at Prospect Hill Cemetery (North Omaha, Nebraska) People of Nebraska in the American Civil War Secretaries of state of Nebraska Republican Party United States senators from Nebraska Nebraska Republicans Politicians from Glens Falls, New York Politicians from Omaha, Nebraska People from Beatrice, Nebraska 19th-century United States senators