Frederick Bartlett Fancher (April 2, 1852January 10, 1944) was an American politician who was the seventh

governor of North Dakota The governor of North Dakota is the head of government of North Dakota and serves as the commander-in-chief of the state's North Dakota National Guard, military forces. The Constitution of North Dakota specifies that "the executive power is ves ...

from 1899 to 1901.

Biography

Frederick B. Fancher was born in

Orleans County, New York Orleans County is a county in the western part of the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,343. The county seat is Albion. The county received its name at the insistence of Nehemiah Ingersoll though historians ...

, on April 2, 1852. Educated in the public schools, he also attended Michigan State Normal School in

Ypsilanti, Michigan Ypsilanti ( ), commonly shortened to Ypsi ( ), is a college town and city located on the Huron River in Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city's popu ...

. He married Florence S. Van Voorhies.

Career

Working in insurance in

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

(where his office was destroyed in the

Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago, Illinois during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left mor ...

of 1871) and

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

, Fancher first entered politics and was President of the North Dakota Constitutional Convention in 1889. He had moved to North Dakota in 1881 and began a large farming operation near Jamestown. He was

State Insurance Commissioner State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

from 1895 to 1899 and a trustee board member of the State Hospital for the Insane. Securing the Republican nomination, he was elected Governor and served from 1899 to January 10, 1901. While he was in that office, a state board of pardons, and a twine plant in the state penitentiary were established. Although renominated at the Republican convention, he withdrew due to ill health. After leaving office, he moved to

Sacramento, California Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat, seat of Sacramento County, California, Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento Rive ...

and had a retail and wholesale grocery business until his retirement in 1925.

Death

Fancher died in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, on January 10, 1944, at age 91. He is buried in East Lawn Memorial Park in Sacramento, California. He was the last surviving Governor to have served in the 19th century.

References

External links

Biography for Frederick Fancher
from th
State Historical Society of North Dakota website
*

Soylent Communications
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fancher, Frederick B. 1852 births 1944 deaths Republican Party governors of North Dakota American Protestants 19th-century North Dakota politicians 20th-century North Dakota politicians Governors of North Dakota People from Orleans County, New York