Montana's Territorial Governors

From May 26, 1864 when Montana became a territory, to November 8, 1889 when it became a state, Montana had nine territorial governors as well as three acting territorial governors.  Territorial governors were appointed by the President of the United States, and as presidential appointees, had to be approved by Congress.  Here are interesting facts about Montana's territorial governors:





Sidney Edgerton


• Sidney Edgerton, Montana's first Territorial Governor was appointed by Abraham Lincoln.  His governor's residence was a one room house in Bannack, which was the first territorial capitol. Prior to his appointment he had been a teacher, lawyer, judge, sharpshooter in the Civil War and Congressman from the state of Ohio.  He came west to fill his role as First Chief Justice of the Idaho Territorial Court. 



Green Clay Smith

• Green Clay Smith, who was appointed by Andrew Johnson, later ran for President of the United States on the Prohibition Ticket. At the time of his death he was the pastor of a Baptist Church in Washington D.C.



Thomas Francis Meagher

• Thomas Francis Meagher filled in twice as Acting Territorial Governor. Probably one of the most well known of the Montana Territorial Governors, he died under mysterious circumstances, falling off of a steamboat into the Missouri River at Fort Benton. His statue stands in front of the Montana Capitol Building in Helena.




Samuel Hauser


• It wasn't until 1885, that a territorial resident, was appointed as governor.  All of the earlier appointees had to travel to the territory to fulfill their office duties. Samuel Hauser, appointed by President Grover Cleveland, held this distinction.



Preston Hopkins Leslie

• Preston Hopkins Leslie had served as Governor of Kentucky before he was appointed to be Montana's eighth territorial governor.
• Five of the Montana's territorial governors and acting territorial governors finished out their lives in Montana.  Three of them, Potts, Leslie and Hauser are buried in Forestvale Cemetery in Helena.  Benjamin White is buried in Dillon, the town that he founded and Thomas Francis Meagher's Meagher's body was never recovered from the Missouri River.