Elijah Sells (February 15, 1814 – March 13, 1897) was an American military officer, politician, and businessman.

Biography

Born in

Franklin County, Ohio Franklin County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 1,323,807, making it the List of counties in Ohio, most populous county in Ohio. Most of its la ...

, Sells moved to

Scott County, Illinois Scott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 4,949, making it the fourth-least populous county in Illinois. Its county seat is Winchester. Scott County is part of the Jac ...

in 1833 and was in the stoneware business. He campaigned for

William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was the ninth president of the United States, serving from March 4 to April 4, 1841, the shortest presidency in U.S. history. He was also the first U.S. president to die in office, causin ...

on the Whig Party ticket in the 1840 election. Sells then moved to

Iowa Territory The Territory of Iowa was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1838, until December 28, 1846, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Iowa. The remai ...

in 1841 and settled in Muscatine, Iowa Territory. In 1844, Sells served in the first Iowa Constitutional Convention. Sells then served in the

Iowa House of Representatives The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly, the upper house being the Iowa Senate. There are 100 seats in the Iowa House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state, formed ...

from 1846 to 1848 and from 1852 to 1854 and was a Whig. Sells served as

Iowa Secretary of State The Secretary of State of Iowa is the commissioner of elections of the U.S. state of Iowa. A constitutional officer, the officeholder is elected every four years. The Office of the Secretary of State is divided into four divisions: Elections and ...

from 1857 to 1863 as Republican. Sells served in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

and was acting master of the USS ''Grampus'' in 1863 in

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

. Sells served as auditor of the

United States Department of the Treasury The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the Treasury, national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States. It is one of 15 current United States federal executive departments, U.S. government departments. ...

. Sells then served as Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the Indian Territory. Sells moved to

Douglas County, Kansas Douglas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Lawrence. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 118,785, making it the fifth-most populous county in Kansas. The county ...

and served in the

Kansas House of Representatives The Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for craftin ...

in 1870, 1871, and 1872 and was a Republican. In 1878, Sells moved to

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 ...

and was in the lumber business. From 1889 to 1893, Sells served as Secretary of the Utah Territory and was involved with the Republican Party. Sells died in Salt Lake City, Utah.Kansas State Library-Kansas Legislators Past and Present
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Notes

1814 births 1897 deaths People from Franklin County, Ohio People from Muscatine, Iowa People from Douglas County, Kansas Politicians from Salt Lake City People of Iowa in the American Civil War People of Ohio in the American Civil War Illinois Whigs Iowa Whigs Iowa Republicans Kansas Republicans Utah Republicans Secretaries of state of Iowa Members of the Iowa House of Representatives Members of the Kansas House of Representatives Utah Territory officials United States Department of the Treasury officials People from Scott County, Illinois 19th-century members of the Kansas Legislature 19th-century members of the Iowa General Assembly {{Utah-politician-stub